I.A. Richards - Two Uses of Language: How does Richards's distinction between referential and emotive language impact the way we understand the "truth" of a poetic statement?
1
Richards argued that poetic statements should be judged primarily on their factual accuracy.
2
Richards suggests that the "truth" of a poem lies not in its correspondence to verifiable facts but in its ability to effectively organize and harmonize the reader's attitudes and emotional responses, fulfilling a psychological need rather than conveying objective information.
3
Richards believed that poetry is inherently untruthful because it relies on emotive language.
4
Richards saw no meaningful distinction between the truth claims of science and poetry.