My opinion on New Criticism

I happen to enjoy many of the critical poets. William Stafford and Randall Jarrell  are some of my favorite poets. Though I have never been a fan of T.S. Elliot I enjoy the complex and intricate messages that they convey with their poetry. The economical word choice is very compelling. However I am not a fan of the new critical lens of analysis. I do believe that there is simply more to analysis than just the text. It is important to understand the author and the time that he came when trying to completely comprehend what the poem or work is about. especially if the work is cryptic e.g. Browning.  Before I ever read a book or poem i read a bio of the author so i understand why he/she wrote what they wrote.