T.S.Eliot’s “Tradition and Individual Talent” was published in 1919 in The Egoist - the Times Literary supplement. Later, the essay was published in The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism. This essay is described by David Lodge as the most celebrated critical essay in the English of the 20th century.
The essay is divided into three main sections:
1. Eliot's Concept of tradition and individual talents
2. The theory of depersonalisation and poetry
3. Conclusion.
1.How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of Tradition? Do you agree with it?
In the first part he talk about the concept of tradition and individual talents. Tradition means,
"an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior". Yes, I am agree with his this concept. Eliot says that writer should write with history in his bones. He gave very effective and modern definition. Tradition adition is matter of much wider significance. Tradition also involves the historical sense which involves apparition not only of the pastness of past but also of its presence.
2. What do you understand by Historical Sense? (Use these quotes to explain your understanding)
"The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence". As we know that the historical sense compels a man to write not only with his own generation, but with a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer and within it the whole of literature of his own country. Without historical sense you may not write the literature. If you want to write something you have to know about your time and its history.
He also says that, "This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless and of the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional" which means that with the help of historical sense a writer can write timeless and temporal together and which makes the writer traditional and not the slavish imitation. So historical sense is not just senses of history as a past but it is also an understanding of the present, the present is the unfolding of the past.
3. What is the relationship between “tradition” and “the individual talent,” according to the poet T. S. Eliot?.
The individual talent is a part of tradition as like a brick and building. Any individual work itself could not create such effect as tradition can and Individual talent to expand or extent something new in existing tradition by keeping harmony with the tradition and give it more beauty and meaning and also make their own place in the huge tradition.
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".
In above given quote, Eliot talks about the greatness of Shakespeare and his historical sense.It is not the necessary for a poet to read all the literary history of the past but one has to have understanding of human nature and as we know that Shakespeare has absorbed his age, so, he seems to absorbed and lived through hi age and absorbed his age.
5. Explain: "Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry"
In this, Eliot tries to explain honest criticism and appreciation. He says that any poetry cannot be judged by its poet and he also mentioned that critic must have to appreciate the work and never criticised by the name of writer. Generally, we noticed that critics mostly judge poetry or any literary work by name of writer not by work itself. Here, Eliot denies that partial nature of critics and advised them to be honest and criticise or appreciate the poetry only by itself.
6. How would you like to explain Eliot's theory of ddepersonalization? You can explain with the help of chemical reaction in presence of catalyst agent, Platinum.
The theory of Depersonalization means, the poetry is more important than the poet and It means the poet has to separate his personal emotions from his poetry. Eliot says, that the difference between mature and immature poets can be found out by liberty of special and very varied feelings that can enter into new combinations. Eliot also gives illustration from science - chemistry. In the process of being Sulfur's acid; Sulfur dioxide. And also they must have the presence of filament 'Platinum'. He compares this platinum with the poet. Eliot insists that the mind of the poet should be like that shared of platinum. It should give its total contribution in creating poetry.
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."
In this quote, Eliot says that when be remain to aloof from his feelings and To write poetry is a great deal. When a poet becomes personal while writing poetry, he will be considered as a 'bad-poet'. Because he becomes unconscious, where he should be conscious and he becomes conscious where he must be unconscious. When a poet escapes from his personality, then and then the great poem comes out. A poet must not show his emotion in poetry.
So this is very interesting eassy.
The essay is divided into three main sections:
1. Eliot's Concept of tradition and individual talents
2. The theory of depersonalisation and poetry
3. Conclusion.
1.How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of Tradition? Do you agree with it?
In the first part he talk about the concept of tradition and individual talents. Tradition means,
"an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior". Yes, I am agree with his this concept. Eliot says that writer should write with history in his bones. He gave very effective and modern definition. Tradition adition is matter of much wider significance. Tradition also involves the historical sense which involves apparition not only of the pastness of past but also of its presence.
2. What do you understand by Historical Sense? (Use these quotes to explain your understanding)
"The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence". As we know that the historical sense compels a man to write not only with his own generation, but with a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer and within it the whole of literature of his own country. Without historical sense you may not write the literature. If you want to write something you have to know about your time and its history.
He also says that, "This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless and of the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional" which means that with the help of historical sense a writer can write timeless and temporal together and which makes the writer traditional and not the slavish imitation. So historical sense is not just senses of history as a past but it is also an understanding of the present, the present is the unfolding of the past.
3. What is the relationship between “tradition” and “the individual talent,” according to the poet T. S. Eliot?.
The individual talent is a part of tradition as like a brick and building. Any individual work itself could not create such effect as tradition can and Individual talent to expand or extent something new in existing tradition by keeping harmony with the tradition and give it more beauty and meaning and also make their own place in the huge tradition.
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".
In above given quote, Eliot talks about the greatness of Shakespeare and his historical sense.It is not the necessary for a poet to read all the literary history of the past but one has to have understanding of human nature and as we know that Shakespeare has absorbed his age, so, he seems to absorbed and lived through hi age and absorbed his age.
5. Explain: "Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry"
In this, Eliot tries to explain honest criticism and appreciation. He says that any poetry cannot be judged by its poet and he also mentioned that critic must have to appreciate the work and never criticised by the name of writer. Generally, we noticed that critics mostly judge poetry or any literary work by name of writer not by work itself. Here, Eliot denies that partial nature of critics and advised them to be honest and criticise or appreciate the poetry only by itself.
6. How would you like to explain Eliot's theory of ddepersonalization? You can explain with the help of chemical reaction in presence of catalyst agent, Platinum.
The theory of Depersonalization means, the poetry is more important than the poet and It means the poet has to separate his personal emotions from his poetry. Eliot says, that the difference between mature and immature poets can be found out by liberty of special and very varied feelings that can enter into new combinations. Eliot also gives illustration from science - chemistry. In the process of being Sulfur's acid; Sulfur dioxide. And also they must have the presence of filament 'Platinum'. He compares this platinum with the poet. Eliot insists that the mind of the poet should be like that shared of platinum. It should give its total contribution in creating poetry.
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."
In this quote, Eliot says that when be remain to aloof from his feelings and To write poetry is a great deal. When a poet becomes personal while writing poetry, he will be considered as a 'bad-poet'. Because he becomes unconscious, where he should be conscious and he becomes conscious where he must be unconscious. When a poet escapes from his personality, then and then the great poem comes out. A poet must not show his emotion in poetry.
So this is very interesting eassy.
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