From the centre of modernity, dismayed by the world wars, with a sense of dislocation, and in a search for tradition, T.S Elliot, has remained a crucial figure in Literature and criticism. This essay aims to explore Elliot’s pursuit for tradition and order in response to the chaos of his society. The critical essay ‘tradition and the individual talent’ will be focalised on, to analyse Elliot’s scrutiny of tradition, and critics will be engaged to receive distinctive facets of the argument.
Elliot’s repeated emphasis on the necessity of tradition and culture may have been a response to modernity. Several critics argue that Elliot’s ideologies initially acquired influence from F.H Bradley’s theories of experience, and Maurrasian political …show more content…
A true poet must adopt ‘depersonalisation’, and act as a ‘catalyst’ leaving no trace of his personal feelings within his art. Elliot contended with ideologies of Romantic poetry, disagreeing with depiction of personal feelings, and claims of individual genius, stating that ‘No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone’. (Elliot, 1997:41) This notion of holding ‘meaning’ as a whole, through embodying a ‘historical sense’ exemplifies Eliot’s image of a ‘simultaneous’ existing state of Literature. (Elliot, …show more content…
For instance, through stating that the ‘past should be altered by the present as much as the present is directed by the past’ reinterpretations and subjectivity were empowered. (Elliot.1997: 41) The distorted nature of poems such as ‘The wasteland’, asked the reader to discover their own interpretation amidst the scatter of verses. The reader was granted the ability of having an interpretation. Authority was no longer restricted to the poet; he no longer dictated meaning to the reader. These developments subsequently led to the formation of theories such as ‘The death of the Author’.
Arguably, Elliot also had an influence on Important figures in Literary criticism such as Leavis and Bloom. There are present mutual notions of perceiving tradition as continuously remade and rethought.
Furthermore, critical essays such as ‘Tradition and the individual talent’ and ‘Hamlet and his problems’ have had major influence on the school of New Criticism. These influences have made the study of literary theory what it is today.
In conclusion, Elliot’s theories may have been an amalgamation of the anxieties of his society nonetheless, one may still learn from his ideology of tradition. Elliot is now a ‘dead poet’ himself, therefore, to understand how literary theory or the metamorphosis of art has reached its point of existence today, one must study Elliot’s, poetry and theories
Elliot’s repeated emphasis on the necessity of tradition and culture may have been a response to modernity. Several critics argue that Elliot’s ideologies initially acquired influence from F.H Bradley’s theories of experience, and Maurrasian political …show more content…
A true poet must adopt ‘depersonalisation’, and act as a ‘catalyst’ leaving no trace of his personal feelings within his art. Elliot contended with ideologies of Romantic poetry, disagreeing with depiction of personal feelings, and claims of individual genius, stating that ‘No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone’. (Elliot, 1997:41) This notion of holding ‘meaning’ as a whole, through embodying a ‘historical sense’ exemplifies Eliot’s image of a ‘simultaneous’ existing state of Literature. (Elliot, …show more content…
For instance, through stating that the ‘past should be altered by the present as much as the present is directed by the past’ reinterpretations and subjectivity were empowered. (Elliot.1997: 41) The distorted nature of poems such as ‘The wasteland’, asked the reader to discover their own interpretation amidst the scatter of verses. The reader was granted the ability of having an interpretation. Authority was no longer restricted to the poet; he no longer dictated meaning to the reader. These developments subsequently led to the formation of theories such as ‘The death of the Author’.
Arguably, Elliot also had an influence on Important figures in Literary criticism such as Leavis and Bloom. There are present mutual notions of perceiving tradition as continuously remade and rethought.
Furthermore, critical essays such as ‘Tradition and the individual talent’ and ‘Hamlet and his problems’ have had major influence on the school of New Criticism. These influences have made the study of literary theory what it is today.
In conclusion, Elliot’s theories may have been an amalgamation of the anxieties of his society nonetheless, one may still learn from his ideology of tradition. Elliot is now a ‘dead poet’ himself, therefore, to understand how literary theory or the metamorphosis of art has reached its point of existence today, one must study Elliot’s, poetry and theories