A person who adheres strictly to established rules, forms, or procedures; an artist or thinker who prioritizes form and structure over content and meaning.
From 'formalism' + '-ist' (one who practices or believes in). Emerged in 19th-century art criticism to label artists and philosophers.
When Russian formalists studied literature, they revolutionized English classes—instead of just asking 'what does it mean,' they asked 'how does it work?' They discovered that the structure of a story is itself a source of meaning!
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