Bhavanagar's reviews: T.S. Eliot' theory of Tradition and Individual Talant

T. S. Eliot's theory of Tradition ans Individual Talant.

Thomas Stearns Eliot was a British essayist, publisher, playwright, literary and social critic, and "one of the twentieth century's major poets". In his work 'For Lancelot Andrews', He openly described himself as a 'Classicist in literature', 'Royalist in Politics', and 'Anglo Catholic in religion'. This declaration sets tge tone for his lifelong commitment to criticism. He wrote a very important essay, 'Tradition and the Individual Talant'. The term 'Tradition' is the key of this essay, it does not means 'a blind or timid adherence', but its means 'Its involves the historical sence, we may call indispensable to anyone who would continue to be a poet beyond his twenty fifth year, and the historical sense involve a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of it presence; The historical sense compels a man to write note merely with his own generation in his bones, but with a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer, and within the whole of the literature of his own country has a simultaneous existence and compose a simultaneous order.

Talking of 'historical sense', Eliot says, this historical sense, which is the sense of timeless and of the timeless and the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional'. He uses 'historical sense' not in the usual sense. he wants to the critic to see literature, 'not as consercrated by time, but to see it beyond time; to see the best work of our time, and the best work of 25 years ago with the same eyes.' His view of traditional is negative in so far as it distrusts novelty or originality, or any kind a revolution or individualistic attempt, and it is positive in that in recommended that the poet should have a sense of history of poetry. It's this 'historical sense' which makes a writer traditional.

'Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry.'

The most valuable part of a work are those in which, 'the dead poets, his ancestors, assert their immortality most of vigorously'. Therefore, every new writer is to be judged by the standards which exit already in the past. every poet worth the name must be a shareholder of the past, and be knowledgeable about the current of literature.

The poet must subordinate himself to this tradition, because it is more important than himself, and his personality as a poet. He rightly say that 'The progress of the artist is a continual self sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality.'

Eliot makes a distinction between art emotion, and life emotion which is transformed into art. Further Eliot criticize on poetry 's view on language, poetry should approximate to the spoken language, as it is spoken during the poet's lifetime. That is why he admires Dante's language which is a 'perfection of the comman language,' and Dryden's language 'which restored English verse to the condition of speech.' this does not, maintained that poet should use colloquialisms. He says, ' Good poetry is obviously something else besides good verse; and good verse may be very indifferent poetry.'

Thus, Eliot's essay on Tradition and The Individual talant is not only critical note but also it's helpful to new poet, critic.

💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

Question

1) How would you like to explain concept of tradition ? Do you agree with it ?
Yes, I am agree with Eliot's Concept of Tradition. Here Eliot uses the word of Tradition, it doesnot meaning of the blind or timid adhrence. The tradition means-the past-and the literary tradition means the work of writer and their writing style. According to Eliot, 'the poet or a writer should have to fit in Tradition rather than just imitation of tradition. He highlights the positive aspect of the tradition. Tradition is not only a mere imitation of the past. Every writer writes for the living audience. He connects the past; the tradition with his present time.

2) What do you understand by Historical sense?

"The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence"

Above quotation is talk about the historical sense. Most of the poet writes base on historical sense, here Eliot said that its past ans past has not involve in present. If it is written in Historical and past sense its timeless and temporal because it already written by another. And also people have read. So the writer should written in present. the great works are still living in temporary time. The ideas of past still living in today's time. That is the thing which makes writer traditional.

3)What is the relationship between 'Tradition' and the 'Individual Talent ' according to the poet T.S. Eliot?

Tradition comes from hard work, it was not a thing of inheritance. There required Individual talent of the poet or artist. He also speaks up on Shakespeare's talent i.e. he borrows materials from past in a different way and from that difference new Tradition was begin by breaking all the rules.

4) Explain: "Some can absorb knowledge, the more tardy must sweat for it. Shakespeare acquired more essential history from Plutarch than most men could from the whole British Museum".

Here T. S. Eliot try to explain the terms of Tradition and the Individual talant. William wordsworths say that Poetry should be rastic language which is very close to nature and but his views on nature and another critics say that it should be written in more knowledgable, here Eliot gave some example that shakespeare was uneducated person who has not highly knowledge on writing but he read the Plutarch, but his thinking mind is wide. He gets knowledge from greek literature. Shakespeare's contemporary a lot of writer has not get fame, them works are in Museum. But Shakespeare seems to lived his age and absorbed knowledge.

5) Explain: "Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry"

In this Quote Eliot puts his great emphasis on the work of art rather than on artist.the criticism of any work should be done upon the artist's art not upon artist. Or upon poetry not upon poet. Critc should have criticise the work with honesty, by staying aloof. He should not criticise the work by only reading the title of the work or writer's name. For the good judgement he should judge the only poetry not poet. The work of poet is more important.

6) How would you like to explain Eliot's theory of depersonalization? You can explain with the help of chemical reaction in presence of catalyst agent, Platinum.

Chemical reaction for better understanding about creative writing process ,

So3+ H2o--->(Platinum)H2So4

Here platinum is the medium through process happened and H2So4 came in existence, the same way in creative process Human mind need medium or content of feeling like suffering, pain, happiness etc., but as in chemical process at result we gets only sulphuric acid and absence of platinum a medium the same way should be in creative writing that writer's own reflection of feelings should not reflect in his/her works.

7) Explain: " Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality."

William wordsworth gives the deffination of poetry that, "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility." But here Eliot opposite of wordsworth, above quotation through Eliot says that Poets must not be involve them emotion and feelings in poetry. Poetry should impersonal. If poet writes with aloofness then his work will get more success. Poet should be escape from personality.

8) Write two points on which one can write critique on 'T.S. Eliot as a critic'.

1) Eliot's views of Historical sense.
2) Eliot’s view of escape from emotion and escape from personality
These are the two points on which we can analyse T.S Eliot as a critic.