Bridge Course

 

Thinking activity of T.S Eliot's "Tradition and Individual talent"

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

Concept of tradition for Eliot is in more larger sense. He does not find tradition as something in negative way, he rather takes it in positive way. For Eliot to follow tradition does not mean just slavish imitation it is something to add in the existing tradition. For Eliot tradition is not dead but it is something which always live. Yes I am agree with Eliot as he doesn’t believe the tradition as something which is at some time followed by living people of that time but it is rather a live and a new writer who don’t have anything their own unique it is something they are taking from the existing tradition and by their creativity they add their own new thing in the living tradition and make their place.

2) What do you understand by historical sense?

Eliot says that historical sense is necessary element for poet or writer because it gives them a sense of writing timeless and temporal. As Eliot says, “The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence” which means it is not about to know figures and facts of history but understand the time in which people are living and their ways of living and also how that past is present in contemporary time. Further he says, “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” 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.

3) What is the relationship between 'Tradition' and 'Individual talent' according to the poet T.S Eliot?

According to Eliot a new writer does not have anything their own and unique, tradition and individual talent both are not separate. Though individuals are not just imitating the tradition. New writers use their individual talent to expand or extent something new in existing tradition by keeping harmony with the tradition and give it more beauty and more meaning and also make their own place in the huge tradition. So tradition and individual talent both goes together.

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 ddepersonalization? 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 turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality."

In above given quote Eliot again talk about the depersonalization. He says that  whenever poet create something their own self should not reflect in their creative work. Poet should learn to be aloof or detach when they create something. Eliot says poetry is impersonal it is not for showing one’s own emotion or self it is about escape from that emotions and self. Poet’s own self should not reflect in their own poetry or work.

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

The Conclusion:

At the end, in this third part Eliot says that this essay stops at the starting 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. Eliot says:

“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.”

          By this statement, he says that to admire a poem with the poet’s skill and his name is easiest thing. The harder is to know technical skill or art of the POEM. But the hardest thing is to find the significant emotions from the poem, which separates the poet from the poem. The reader must know that after giving birth of the work of art, the connection between that art and artist is ended. And a poet must know that to reach at the level of impersonality, he first has to scarifies himself  and has to surrender himself totally to that work.