Introduction: The records of literary criticism and theory are almost as old as literature itself. As we know, literary criticism is a kind of mental exercise consisting of evaluating, classifying, analyzing, interpreting, judging and valuing literary art. This indicates that criticism also includes the creative ability to first understand the work of the literary artist and then present his or her valid point of view. In this sense, it is truly a “meta-literature”. Successful critics and theorists around the world are just renowned literary figures. As Ben Jonson says: “To judge a poet is only the faculty of poets.” This means that only a writer can understand the mysteries and mental regions of his fellow writers and respond to them appropriately and effectively. Ancient Classical Criticism: The earliest evidence of criticism is found in Greek literature. In the 5th and 4th centuries BC, Athens was home to literary enterprises. Critical activity was therefore undertaken for the first time by Plato and his eternal disciple Aristotle. This preliminary era of criticism is called Hellenic, which in Greek means, period of criticism. Plato's Republic is considered the first critical book in which he expresses his ideas on the literary and poetic process. It was then Aristotle who truly began the still powerful and pervasive critical journey. His Poetics proved an immortal cornerstone of criticism in subsequent centuries, and it awakened the thoughts and talents of almost all critics and theorists, regardless of linguistic differences. The study of books is inevitable in all literature and for every student and researcher of literature. Aristotle develops for the first time the ideas of mimesis and catharsis which are still the issues today...... middle of paper...... cultural consciousness of the writer too. The approach is a collection of various procedures, and its use in critical inquiry will not fail to enlighten the readership and thus enrich the process of definition, classification and evaluation of literary works. There is therefore room for spatial and temporal analysis of the literary text. The past is resurrected for the usefulness of the present. Works Cited (1) Abrams, MH and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Handbook of Literary Terms. NewDelhi: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.(20) Greenblatt, Stephen. Learning to curse: an essay on modern literature. New York: Rutledge, 1990. Print. (3) Kettle, Arnold, ed. Shakespeare in a Changing World. London: 1964. Print.(4) Rice, Philip and Patrice Waught, eds. Modern Literary Theory: A Reader. 2nd edition. London: Edward Arnold, 1989. Print.