Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
At school the study of literature can still involve a close reading or ‘practical criticism’ of a novel, play or poem without much or any recourse to external material. Practical criticism is the method of analysing a poem, in isolation from the circumstances of its production, developed by I. A. Richards (1893-1919) in the 1920s. He felt that concentration upon the words on the page’, the technical aspects of the ways verse creates effects, would result in meaningful judgements upon whether a poem was intrinsically ‘good’ or simply reputedly so. The methodology of practical criticism seeks coherence in images, themes and patterns of language. Richards and his colleagues felt that this practice was ‘scientific’ and led to objective value judgements. He was part of a group of lecturers at Cambridge University who played a crucial role in the development of the discipline of English Literature and whose methodology influenced the critical practices of the New Critics, John Crowe Ransom (1888-1974) and Cleanth Brooks (1906-94) and their colleagues in the US. Their ‘scientific’ examination of literature asserted a hierarchy of texts, those that held universal meaning and significance through aesthetic form and those deemed too formulaic to warrant academic scrutiny. The first revered group of texts is often referred to as the literary canon.

The purpose of I.A. Richard’s ‘practical criticism’ was to

The correct option is: Usher in an objective approach to the study of texts.

Detailed Explanation:

1. Understanding 'Practical Criticism':
According to the passage, practical criticism is a method of literary analysis developed by I. A. Richards in the 1920s. This approach focuses on analyzing a text (specifically poetry) in isolation, concentrating strictly on "the words on the page" and the technical details of how the language creates specific effects.

2. Locating the Objective Goal:
The passage explicitly states that Richards and his colleagues believed this analytical practice was "‘scientific’ and led to objective value judgements." By focusing solely on the internal mechanics of the text rather than external factors (such as the author's biography or historical context), the method aimed to remove personal bias and subjective interpretation.

3. Eliminating Incorrect Options:
- The option regarding a "practical perspective to life" is incorrect because "practical criticism" is a academic method of textual analysis, not a philosophy about daily living.
- The option regarding the "prescriptive function of literature" is incorrect because the passage does not discuss prescribing rules for how literature should behave, but rather how it should be studied.
- The option regarding "contextual aspects of the text" is incorrect because the passage explicitly states that practical criticism analyzes the poem "in isolation from the circumstances of its production," thereby actively ignoring contextual factors.

Consequently, the primary purpose of I.A. Richards's methodology was to introduce a structured, unbiased, and objective framework for studying literary texts.