One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
Definition of practical criticism in English:
practical criticism
noun
An analytical approach to literary criticism first developed by I. A. Richards, in which literary texts are viewed as autonomous and, isolated from any literary, historical, or biographical context, subjected to close reading; (also more generally) close reading of literary texts.
Origin
1920s; earliest use found in Ivor Armstrong Richards (1893–1979), literary scholar and educationist.