Which option best defines the concept of literary theory?

Show Answers

Literary theory is about analyzing the author's mental state.Literary theory focuses on evaluating the merit of a literary piece.Literary theory examines the background and publication details of texts.Literary theory explains the fundamental ideas that shape a literary work.

Explanation

Option A refers to understanding the author's psychology, which is not the primary focus of literary theory. Option B relates to judging the quality of a work, which is more about literary criticism. Option C involves the study of publication history, which falls under textual scholarship. Option D correctly identifies literary theory as the study of the core principles and frameworks that inform literary works.