Thinking Activity
Hello, This blog is based upon thinking activity on Tradition and The Individual Talent by T.S Eliot.
Tradition and the Individual Talent" is an essay written by T.S. Eliot, first published in 1919. Eliot was a renowned poet, essayist, and literary critic. In this essay, he explores the relationship between the individual artist and the broader tradition of art and literature, discussing how past works influence and shape the creativity of present and future artists. Eliot's ideas in this essay have had a significant impact on literary criticism and the understanding of artistic creation.
1) How Would you like to explain Eliot's Concept of Tradition? Do you agree with it? What do you Understand by Historical Sense?
"The Historical Sense involves a perception, not Only of the pastness of the past but of it's presence."
T.S. Eliot had this idea called the "Concept of Tradition." It's basically about how writers and artists are influenced by the past. Eliot believed that for new works to be good, they should be connected to and influenced by old works.
The "Historical Sense" that Eliot talks about means not just knowing that something happened in the past, but feeling like it's still here with us in the present. It's like seeing how the past affects what's happening now.
So, the quote you mentioned is saying that having a Historical Sense means understanding that the past isn't just gone—it's still kind of around us, shaping what we see and do today. It's like history is not just something that happened a long time ago; it's still influencing us in the present.
"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."
T.S. Eliot means that having a historical understanding isn't just about knowing something happened a long time ago. It's about feeling like those past events or ideas still affect and shape our lives today. It's like seeing the past as something that's not just gone but still leaves a mark on what we experience in the present.
In his essay "Tradition and the Individual Talent," Eliot talks about how a writer isn't just creating something completely new.
2) What is the relationship between "tradition" and "individual talent," according to the poet T. S. Eliot?
T.S. Eliot talked about how tradition and individual talent are connected. He believed that for a writer to be really good, they need both. Tradition is all the stuff from the past that influences us, like old ideas and works of art. But individual talent is what each writer brings—their unique thoughts and creativity.
"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".
This quote is saying that some people have a natural talent for learning, almost like they can easily soak up knowledge without much effort. On the other hand, there are people who need to put in a lot of hard work and effort to learn things. Shakespeare, who was very knowledgeable, learned a great deal from reading Plutarch's stories. The quote suggests that Shakespeare gained more important information from reading Plutarch than most people could ever gather by reading numerous books in a huge library. It emphasizes how different people have different ways of learning, some absorbing knowledge more easily while others have to work harder for it.
"Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation are directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry."
This quote means that when people talk about a poem, they should focus on discussing the poem itself, not the person who wrote it. Instead of criticizing or appreciating the poet personally, they should concentrate on discussing the elements, meaning, and beauty within the poem. In essence, the attention and discussion should be about the poem's content and craftsmanship, rather than judging or praising the poet as a person.
3) How would you like to explain Eliot's theory of depersonalization? You can explain this with the help of a chemical reaction in the presence of a catalyst agent, platinum.
"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. "Write two points on which one can write a critique of 'T.S. Eliot as a critic'.
T.S. Eliot talked about depersonalization in poetry, comparing it to a chemical reaction with a catalyst like platinum.
Catalyst
SO₃ + H₂O ⟶ H₂SO₄
Platinum
platinum helps a reaction without itself being changed, Eliot believed that poetry should convey emotions without focusing on the poet's personal feelings.
Eliot said that poetry isn't just letting out feelings but escaping from them. It's not showing who you are, but actually getting away from that. T.S. Eliot believed that poetry isn't just about expressing emotions or showing who you are; instead, he thought it was a way to step away from those emotions and personal traits. Some might criticize Eliot for being too focused on old ways of writing poetry, limiting newer styles, and for letting his personal preferences influence his critiques, which might not have been entirely fair to different kinds of poetry.
● Sum up video of T.S Eliot's Tradition and Individual Talent.
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