Bridge Course: T.S. Eliot : Tradition and Individual Talent

T.S. Eliot : Tradition and Individual Talent 

This blog related to the blog task based on T.S. Eliot: Tradition and Individual Talent  given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. 

Introduction:

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 in 1920.  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:

   The first sections gives us Eliot's Concept  of  Tradition; 

    The second exemplifies his theory of depersonalization and poetry. And in  

    The third part he concludes the debate by saying that the poets sense of Tradition and the impersonality  of poetry are complementary things. 

T.S. Eliot 

Thomas Stearms Eliot OM was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic  and editor.  Considered one of the 20th century's major poets, he is a central figure in English-language poetry.   As a critic T.S Eliot was very practical. He called himself  "A classicist in literature."  According to Eliot, a critic must obey the objective standards to analyze any work. He thought criticism as a science.  Eliot's criticism became  revolutionary at that time.   20th century  got 'metaphysical revival ' because of Eliot. 

Main Concepts of  the Essay 

The essay "Tradition and Individual Talent"  was first published in  "The Egoist ".   The Egoist  was a literary magazine, which is considered today as "England's Most Important Modernist Periodical".  This essay was later published in "The Sacred Wood",  which is Eliot's first book of criticism.  

The concept of Tradition 

In first pat Eliot  speaks about  tradition, He says : "Seldom, perhaps, does the word appear except in a phrase of censure". It means  in English writings they don't see the word  'tradition' in positive way.

He says about Englishman's attitude towards French literature.  Englishmen have a habit to feel proud on themselves.  That is the proud for their creativity and more for their  'less' criticality.  In French there is a mass of critical writing.  Eliot  compares English with French that they have habit of critical method and English have habit of 'conclusion'. 

The Theory of  Impersonal poetry: 

In this second part Eliot tries to define the process of  'depersonalization' and its relation with the sense of Tradition.  The main aspect of this theory is the relation of poetry with the poet. 

The conclusion: 

At the end, in this third part Eliot says that essay stops at the stating of mysticism.  And it can be applied by the responsible person, who really interested in poetry.  It is very hard thing to take interest in poetry and to keep a poet aside.  We usually read poem with the name and fame of the poet. We cannot separate them from each other.