Hello, I am Himanshi Parmar. Write this blog as a part of thinking activity, given as task of academic work.
Introduction :-
'Tradition and individual Talent' is an important essay written by a great poet and critic T. S. Eliot. The essay was published in 1919. And was in "The Egoist". The Egoist was literary magazine which is now considered a "England's most important modernist periodical".And later on the essay published in Eliot's first book of criticism called "The sacred wood" (1920). The essay 'Tradition and individual talent', is also available in few other books like, Eliot's "Selected prose" and "Selected essays".
About T. S. Eliot :-
Mainly Eliot known for his poetry. He also contributed in criticism. He consider as a great cultural critic. Comparable to Sir. Philip Sydney and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was also well known 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 Modernist poetry. Who was born on 26 September 1888. And died on 4 January 1965. His full name is Thomas Stearns Eliot OM.
He was Born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a prominent Boston Brahmin family, then he moved to England in 1914 at the age of 25 and went on to settle, work, and marry there. He became a British citizen in 1927 at the age of 39, subsequently renouncing his American citizenship. Eliot first attracted widespread attention for his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" in 1915, which was received as a modernist masterpiece. It was followed by some of the best-known poems in the English language, including "The Waste Land" (1922), "The Hollow Men" (1925), "Ash Wednesday" (1930), and Four Quartets (1943).He was also known for his seven plays, particularly Murder in the Cathedral (1935) and The Cocktail Party (1949). He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, "for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry".
The poet and critic T. S. Eliot gave shape to many of the concerns that would eventually declared him as a New Criticism. In essays such as "Tradition and the Individual Talent," rather than emphasizing the greatness of the individual poet, Eliot stressed the importance of directing criticism upon the poem itself.
Now let me discuss about some of the important questions is in detail.
(1)Your understanding of the views expressed by Eliot in this essay.
And
(2) How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of Tradition? Do you agree with it?
The essay 'Tradition and individual talent' is divided in three parts, the parts are :
1) The concept of Tradition.
2) the theory of impersonal poetry.
3) the conclusion part.
In the first part Eliot talk about concept of tradition. He says that in English literature, The word is not taken as much positive way. As he sentenced that,
"Seldom, perhais, does the word (Tradition) appear except in a phrase of censure". Then later T. S. Eliot compare Englishmen with frenchmem and reflected the attitude of English's towards French literature. English writers habituated to feel proud on themselves. They proud for their creativity and also for their 'less' criticality. In french we found mass of critical writing. French also have habit of conclusion. This we see when Eliot wrote,
"“…we only conclude (we are such unconscious people) that the French are more critical than we; and sometimes even plume ourselves a little with the fact, as if the French were less spontaneous”.
In the essay, Eliot also defending the role of tradition in helping new writers, to be modern. This is something a central point of Eliot's writing. Eliot favour 'Criticality'. He thinks that, "criticism is as inevitable as breathing ". Then he talk about tradition, Eliot admire the aspects which are different from poet's predecessors. They try to give "uniqueness" and "newness". They always find isolation of the poet from his immediate predecessors. Than Eliot write that, "everyone need to forget all the prejudice, and then only all can come to know about poet's individuality. Which are connected with his ancestors."
The most individual part of any work is which deal with the vigorous dead poet and their glory of writing. In this essay, Eliot, asserts that tradition and individuality go together.
Next Eliot write about Tradition and 'Historical sense'. And Eliot wrote that if form 'Tradition' follow blindly to the dead people or ancestors. Then might be such tradition should be destroyed. According to poet, tradition is not in following pre - generation only. But also it has a bit of novelty. He says that,
“Tradition is a matter of much wider significance. It cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labor. It involves in the first place, the historical sense.”
With this historical sense they should have perception about its presence as well as about its 'pastness of past'. According to this historical sense, Eliot told writers to write not only with his own generation but also with the whole ags of the English literature. Historical sense make poet realise that the whole area of literature from Homer to his own generation has simultaneous existence. Which reflected two things, 'Timelessness' and 'temporality' in poet's work. Which makes poet traditional. As Eliot wrote that,
“No poet, no artist of any art has his complete meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation o the dead poets and artists. You can’t value him alone; you must set him, for contrast and comparison among the dead.”
Eliot also says that nothing is individual, the influence of past are always there. Eliot also discuss aboutb 'Conformity between the old and the new'. New work is always connected with it's present and past. Eliot believed that nothing and nobody can valued alone. Eliot also wrote that, "Past is unchangeable, and past and present has strong connection with each other. He wrote that,
“…the past should be altered by the present as much as the present is directed by the past. And the poet who is aware of this will be aware of great difficulties and responsibilities”.
(2) Explain: "Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry".
Or
(2) The theory of Impersonal poetry :-
In second part Eliot define the process of 'depersonalization', and now it is relate to tradition. And the main thing or motif is relations of poetry and poet. For that Eliot says that,
“Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry.”
According to Eliot, most of the criticism only says about a name and creativity of poet, but there is no enjoyment of poetry we found or get. By this quote Eliot says that the difference between mature and immature poet, by liberty of special and varied feeling. Which enter into new combination. Also he says that honest criticism only possible when artist give their fullest to the work. When they sacrifice themselves, At that time poetry become more valuable.
Then later Eliot gives illustration from the field of science and chemistry. He compare 'Platinum' with the poet. When the process of being sulfurous acid take place. The two gases needed. OXYGEN and SULFUR DIOXIDE. and at that time they have a filament 'Platinum'. In this process platinum plays indirect role. And remain unaffected by any gases
Eliot says that poet is also like platinum. They give total contribution, but when poetry comes out, they remain unaffected and oprate. Poet's mind is like utensil and full of fellings, phrases and images. And poets utilize them and unites them as poetry. Eliot also believe that, what poet express is defiantly a medium, but not a personality. He wrote that,
“…the poet has not a ‘personality’ to express, but a particular medium, which is only a medium and not a personality…”
(3) 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."
Eliot also talk about emotions and poetry. He says that in poetry, experience and impression comes together in unexpected way. And similarly some trivial experience and impression become so important for poetry. He says that without context, nothing can be understood,
“This balance of constructed emotion is in the dramatic situation to which the speech is pertinent, but that situation alone is inadequate to it.”
Then he gave example of Thomas Middleston's tragedy. And use some lines from that to explain the point. He believes that personal emotions are simple where eles. Poetry is a complex to understand. And that is the reason that not all the time poet's own emotions take place in poetry. Poet used ordinary emotions most of the time. And deal with all known and unknown emotions.
He here change words, but reflect the sentence 'Emotions recollected in tranquility'. He use for this words like, 'An inexact formula'. According to Eliot, a poet who become personal while writing poetry, he will consider as 'Bad poet' because he wrote 'unconsciously'. And Eliot says that poet become conscious where he must be unconscious. When poet stop looking for his personality. Then only the glory and greatness comes out in poetry. Poet has no right to show his personal emotions in poetry. Which we see in the lines he wrote that,
“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.”
(3) The Conclusion :-
In the third part of conclusion. Eliot says that it will be so hard to only look into poetry. And ignore poet. Usually all can read poem only with name and fame of the poet. He wrote that,
“There are many people who appreciate the expression of sincere emotion in verse, and there is smaller number of people who can appreciate technical excellence. But very few know when there is expression of significant emotion, emotion which has its life in the poem and not in the history of the poet.”
In this statement, he tries to elaborate the view that to admire poem with poet's skill and fame is most easier thing. But to look only technical skills and art in poem is hardest thing. And he says that, reader must knows that when the work published, the relationship between art and artist is ended. And also he make all the poet aware that they has to sacrifice themselves totally for their work.
Words :- 1747
References :-
1) science. Jrank. Org
2) coursehero. Com
3)janiriddhi1315.blogspot.com
4)interestingliterature. Com
