Leavis and Trilling: a common pursuit

F. R. Leavis and Lionel Trilling were two of the more impassioned spokesmen for critical intelligence in twentieth century letters. Part of the continued fascination with both these figures is the clear roles they played as critics writing for distinct publics. The discursive personae they created in assuming this function offers a revealing look into the nature of mid-century criticism during the height of its influence. The aim in what follows is to prompt renewed (not nostalgic) reflection on a time in critical history that foregrounds the style of two of our more powerful defenders of the critical function in the middle years of the twentieth century. To appreciate their style more fully we need to look at them working in their own terms, that is to say writing essays and reviews for the various literary magazines and periodicals they engaged throughout their careers.