* Practical Criticism: He emphasized the importance of close reading and analysis of texts, focusing on how language creates meaning.
* Semantics and the Philosophy of Language: He explored how words and language function to create meaning and understanding.
* Rhetoric and Persuasion: He analyzed how language is used to persuade and influence audiences.
Structural linguistics, on the other hand, focuses on the underlying structures and systems of language. Key figures in this field include Ferdinand de Saussure and Noam Chomsky. Structuralists:
* Analyze the grammar and syntax of languages.
* Develop models to explain the structure of language.
* Seek to identify universal principles governing all languages.
While Richards was interested in language and its use, his focus was different from that of structural linguists. He was more concerned with the meaning-making potential of language in literary and everyday contexts, rather than the structural principles that govern its operation.