T.S.Eliot's essay Tradition and Individual Talent

     

1. How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of Tradition? Do you agree with it ?

Yes, I am agree with the Eliot's concept of tradition. Tradition does not means that the close adherence to the literary tradition of the past. The tradition means the past and the literary tradition means the work of writer and their writing style. The every writer contributes his talent in the tradition. It is the tradition with which we compare our present writer and find newness in present work.

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"
• This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal and of the timeless and of the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional. 

The historical sense involves a perception,..... the historical sense compels a man to write not merely with his own generation in his bones, but with a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer and within it.

 Second quote, no poet, no artist of any art, his complete meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists. And it is at the same time what makes a writer most actually conscious of his place in time, of is contemporary.

3. What is the relationship between “tradition” and “the individual talent,” according to the poet T. S. Eliot?

While Eliot is most often known for his poetry, he also contributed to the field of literary criticism. In this dual role, he acted as poet-critic, comparable to Sir Philip Sidney and Samuel Taylor Coleridge . "Tradition and the Individual Talent" is one of the more well known works that Eliot produced in his critic capacity. It formulates Eliot's influential conception of the relationship between the poet and preceding literary 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 this quote we can see the distinction between knowledge and pedanty. Shakespeare emphasise on timeless and essential history.  As Shakespeare was not very much educated but still he is famous and his works are still read.

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

His theory of depersonalization stats with honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry. Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation that time possible when artist sacrifice him or herself and also extinction of his personality that time poetry becomes more valuable and it is become well.

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. 

Shared of platinum and sulphuric acid, creative process, 
      So3 + H2o --------) H2so4

The analogy of a scientific experiment, in which two chemicals, oxygen & Sulphur dioxide. When they mixed in the presence of platinum, it converts into sulphuric acid, but sulphuric acid does not have any trace to catalyst. Similarly poet's mind is the catalyst. And he has to achieve that imporsonality. 

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."

This quote is also related with the theory of depersonalization and considered the poet has to keep himself aloof. It is not expression of personality it is an extinction of personality. Those who have personality and emotions know that what it means to want to escape from these things. 

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

 Eliot’s influence as a critic has been wide, constant, fruitful and inspiring. He has corrected and educated the taste of his readers and brought about a rethinking regarding the function of poetry and the nature of the poet process. He gave a new direction and new tools of criticism.