Biographical Study of Literature

Birth :- 1841
Death :- 1922
BIOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF
LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
:W.H.Hudsons critical book An Introduction To the Study of

Literature is a systematic study of different form of literature. In the first
two chapters Hudson tries to tell us what is literature and how should we
study and why should we study. According to Hudson literature is an
expression of life through the medium of language .Literature also reveal
the personality of the author.
When we are studying biography and its relationship to

literature is often a subject of literary criticism. Biography is record of the
writers life, like, dislike, various developments of writers career, his
personal life, ups and downs of life etc. Biography can be helpful when the
reader wants to know about any author and his works also.
There are some points to study biography in a better way.
WHAT IS BIOGRAPHY? :According to Hudson if we really Wants to study the personal

life of author, it is the Study of biography which helps us greatly .He
provides a prescription to the readers who wants to read a biography
sincerely. The point on which Hudson puts more emphasis is the judicious
use of good biography. We must have our own judgment which enable us
to sort out what is the more insignificant gossip about the personal life of
famous man .So, Hudson wants us to be an aware and conscious reader of
the biography.
Biography is our desire and interest to learn something about
the man himself as a man, beyond that which his work reveals to us. We
are curious to know the social surroundings in which he lived to know
about his ambition, struggled, success, failures and their relation with the
book. We must feel grateful to those detailed narratives of the lives of
Milton, Johnson, Scott and Tennyson etc. These narratives are nothing but
the human documents of inestimable literary value.
THE STUDY OF AN AUTHOR :A drama or a novel or a poem reveals the personality of the
author. But, we must study about the life of author for better
understanding of his work. So, we should not read the book written by the
author, but we also establish personal relations with the author. We must
know about his education, his reading and about his other works.
e.g. When we read the play of Shakespeare we should not read it in
careless manner but we should study the play of Shakespeare properly.
HOW TO STUDY AN AUTHOR?
:Hudson explains about importance of the study of an author.

He says that there should be a method or system in your reading. First
we should read writers books in chronological order. Such reading will
reveal the progress of authors literary life.
e.g. We must study the play of Shakespeare in the order they were
produced . So that we can
When we study the play of any writer, we should not read
everything that has written by the author. It means that we may ignore
the unimportant work.
St. BEUVES METHOD:Further Hudson also suggests that when we want to

understand the writing of a great writer, we should also study his historical
background, his like-dislikes etc. In other words we should study the
biography of an author. Thus the study of the biography of an author is
important factor in the study of his literature.
HOW SHOULD WE STUDY A BIOGRAPHY OF AN

AUTHOR :There are tow ways to study a biography.
a) The biography must be a good biography, so we must read
the literary biography of the writer e.g. to understand Keatss
life the ordinary biography is not useful but his literary
biography is more useful. Keatss dramatic life has nothing to
do with his personality as an author. The study of dramatic
life does not help us to understand Keats as a Poet.
b) We must read the biography wisely and carefully. In other
words we must read the biography judiciously. It means we
should neglect what is unimportant in a life of author and we
should pay attention to important aspect. So every reader of
biography has to decide what is important and unimportant
in the life of author. Thus Hudson advised us to study the
biography of an author very carefully.
Hudson also wants to say us that we must not forget that the
study of biography is not the study of the literature but such study is
helpful for the better understanding of the book of an author.
We must read the work with sympathy and patience. To
understand the best in literature sympathy is very basic thing. We should
not have our prejudice for author. We shall never understand writers real
character and his work without sympathy.
In short, for better understanding of a work of art ,
i.
ii.
iii.
We must read important work of the writer in a chronological

order.
We should also study a good biography judiciously.
And finally we must have sympathy and patience.
CONCLUESION :When we study the biography of author, we can get better

understanding of writers writing. Thus Hudson advices us how should we
study an author. So, biography should be an ideal biography. It is helpful to
understanding the work of the writer. Thus, the biography serves an
excellent purpose to study any work and author. At the end if we want to
understand any work of author then we must have to understand writers
biography.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF
LITERATURE
The modern English critic W.H. Hudson explains some ways of
studding literature in his book An Introduction to The study of Literature.
Hudsons discussion is practical and useful to the students of literature.
First he explains the meaning of literature. Then he tells us how literature
is produced.
In the second chapter of the book, Hudson suggests some
methods of studying literature. He says that historical and social study of
literature is very useful. He also discusses Taines Formula of studying
literature. Then he gave us the comparative method of studying literature.
Now let us examine in detail the comparative method of
studying literature. According to W.H.Hudson the comparative method is a
practical guide to us. The study of individual author is useful. Similarly the
comparative method is important in the study of literature.
Generally, when we study literature of one country or a one
language or one age we also camper it with the literature of another
country or language or age. Thus this comparative method gives us idea
about fundamental differences in literature. We can find that the great
writer deal with the theme of literature like love, sorrow, death , friendship
and we find that different writer handle these themes differently at
different time.
e.g. We can see that love of man and woman in Greek drama of ancient
time . And we can see love in plays of Shakespeare and we also find the
theme of love in Galsworthys play, Justice. They deal with this theme
differently.
We also find that we cannot understand a writer if we do not
think about the influence of other writer and other literature. The great
writer of one age will influence the writer of another age. Similarly the
writer of one age and one language will have impression on the writer of
another age and another language. Thus the comparative method of the
historical study of England is influenced by the literature of Italy, France,
Greek and Rome. Thus the student of literature must study the difference
and compare it for the better study of literature.
e.g. The 17th century England and English literature came under the
influence of France and French ideas became popular in England therefore
French influence during 18th century. So, we cannot understand the study
of the literature of France. Thus the comparative method is useful to us,
Similarly Germany influenced England and English literature
in the development of romantic poetry during the second part of the 18 th
century. This example is enough to prove the influence of one literature of
one literature on another. So, we can say that the English romantic writers
were influenced by their own pets as well as by the German poets. So the
English Romanticism was the joint product of English genius and German
genius.
If we study the history of English literature, we shall also find
the writer of past age, shapes themes, nature and style of future
literature. Man like enhancer, Spencer, Milton and Shakespeare influence
only with the study of comparative method.
In short W.H.Hudson explains importance of the study of
comparative methods in the study of literature. This method is useful to
the students of literature. Therefore we cannot ignore the comparative
method in the historical study of literature.

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Birth :- 1841

:W.H.Hudsons critical book An Introduction To the Study of

When we are studying biography and its relationship to

WHAT IS BIOGRAPHY? :According to Hudson if we really Wants to study the personal

HOW TO STUDY AN AUTHOR?

:Hudson explains about importance of the study of an author.

St. BEUVES METHOD:Further Hudson also suggests that when we want to

HOW SHOULD WE STUDY A BIOGRAPHY OF AN

We must read important work of the writer in a chronological

CONCLUESION :When we study the biography of author, we can get better

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