Which of the following assumptions are true in the context of New Criticism?
(A) The new movement in literature popularised closed reading of the text.
(B) The leading critics of New Criticism are Allen Tate, Robert Penn Warren, R.P. Blackmur and Kenneth Burke.
(C) The critical approach is extensively used in the study of novels and plays.
(D) This critical approach tends to discredit historical, social and political contexts of a work of literature.
(E) J.C. Ransom published a book New Criticism wherein he appreciates I.A. Richards, William Empson and T.S. Eliot.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is (A), (B) and (D) Only.

Here is the step-by-step breakdown of why these statements are true in the context of New Criticism:

1. Analysis of Statement (A):
New Criticism is a mid-twentieth-century school of literary theory that emphasizes close reading (here referred to as "closed reading") of the text. It focuses on the internal mechanics of the text, such as word choice, syntax, structure, and literary devices like irony and paradox, to discover how a work of literature functions as a self-contained aesthetic object. Therefore, Statement (A) is true.

2. Analysis of Statement (B):
The major figures and proponents of New Criticism in America include prominent critics and poets such as Allen Tate, Robert Penn Warren, R.P. Blackmur, and Kenneth Burke (who, although unique in his approach, is frequently grouped with or studied alongside them). Their essays and textbooks shaped the teaching of literature for decades. Therefore, Statement (B) is true.

3. Analysis of Statement (C):
New Criticism was primarily developed for and applied to lyric poetry, where close attention to detailed linguistic elements is most fruitful. While it was occasionally applied to longer works, it was not the primary or most extensive domain of this approach compared to poetry. Thus, Statement (C) is not one of the primary defining assumptions selected here.

4. Analysis of Statement (D):
A central tenet of New Criticism is that a literary work should be evaluated independently of extrinsic factors. New Critics rejected the relevance of historical, biographical, social, and political contexts, viewing them as distractions from the text itself. They argued that the text contains all the meaning necessary for its interpretation (opposing concepts like the Intentional Fallacy and the Affective Fallacy). Therefore, Statement (D) is true.

5. Analysis of Statement (E):
While John Crowe Ransom published the seminal book The New Criticism in 1941, the book does not simply "appreciate" these figures. Rather, it offers a critical, evaluative examination of their theories (identifying limitations in I.A. Richards's psychological approach, William Empson's focus on ambiguity, and T.S. Eliot's historical advocacy). Hence, Statement (E) is not considered a straightforwardly correct assumption in this combination.

By evaluating all statements, we find that (A), (B), and (D) are the correct assumptions, matching the selected option.