Some of the following terms are integral to New Criticism:
A) Tension
B) Mirror Stage
C) Irony
D) Polyphony
E) Paradox
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is A, C, and E (Tension, Irony, and Paradox).

New Criticism is a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated mid-20th-century American literary studies. It focuses on the text itself as a self-contained, self-referential aesthetic object, emphasizing close reading to analyze how a work's internal elements interact to produce unity and meaning. The terms associated with this movement are explained below:

1. Tension (A): Coined in this context by New Critic Allen Tate, "tension" refers to the dynamic interplay between the literal meaning of words (what he called "extension") and their metaphorical, figurative meanings ("intension"). The resolution of these opposing forces gives a poem its structure and unity.
2. Irony (C): For New Critics like Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, irony is not just a rhetorical device but a structural necessity. It represents the play of context that qualifies, modifies, or reverses a statement's literal meaning, allowing the literary work to withstand opposing interpretations.
3. Paradox (E): Cleanth Brooks famously argued that the language of poetry is the language of paradox. A paradox involves statements that seem self-contradictory on the surface but reveal a deeper, harmonious truth upon closer examination, driving the complex meaning of the poem.

Why other options are incorrect:
• Mirror Stage (B) is a fundamental concept in psychoanalytic theory developed by Jacques Lacan, describing a phase in infant development where the child recognizes its reflection in a mirror, initiating the formation of the ego.
• Polyphony (D) is a term popularized in literary theory by Mikhail Bakhtin to describe a narrative structure (typically in novels) characterized by a plurality of independent and mutually exclusive voices and consciousnesses, rather than a single authorial voice.