This study sought to discover the extent of the parallel between the processes of curriculum evaluation and literary criticism in order to clarify the evaluation process. A consideration of both literatures confirmed the presence of the analogy and allowed the development of a concept of descriptive validity as well as the identification of three different types of descriptive data. In addition, a process of judgment and justification was presented and a concept of publicly reasonable judgment developed. Lastly, six traditional literary devices were introduced and their analogies in curriculum explained and exemplified. (Author)