Russian Formalism

Russian Formalism was a literary movement in early 20th-century Russia that focused on analyzing the technical aspects of a literary work—such as language, structure, and literary devices—rather than its historical or biographical context. They believed that to truly understand a text, readers should examine how it is constructed and how its form contributes to its meaning. This approach shifted attention from author intent and background to the internal features of the text itself, emphasizing the idea that literature’s uniqueness comes from its formal qualities rather than external factors.