Formalism · English Literature

What is the 'Concrete Universal' as discussed by W.K. Wimsatt?

  1. A figure who embodies both personal uniqueness and universal humanity
  2. A metaphor that uses stone or building materials
  3. A political theory applied to literary criticism
  4. The physical act of printing and publishing a book
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Correct answer: A figure who embodies both personal uniqueness and universal humanity

Wimsatt used this term to describe how literature manages to be specific and sensory (concrete) while simultaneously addressing general truths about human existence (universal).

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