1. BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL CRITICISM

2. Important Points:
Idea that art and literature are the direct expressions of the artist’s or writer’s genius and that criticism of great works supports veneration of the great people who created them.
Biographical information is relevant. Need to know something about the author.
Examines time, place, race, sex, economic status, or social, cultural, and intellectual context.

3. Possible short-comings of this approach
Focus is placed solely on historical background of author. Many writers have struggled to get work taken seriously because of mistaken biographical criticism. The work of women and minorities often suffers due to this criticism. Focus is on Objective History.
Equates author’s life and work. The two are not necessarily the same.
Many less-than-credible sources of historical information. (example: recent biographies of Thomas Jefferson)

4. How to do:
Provide a context of background information necessary for understanding how literary works were perceived in their time.
Show how literary works reflect ideas and attitudes of the time in which they were written.