T.S Eliot "Tradition and Individual Talent"

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

Here isthe answer of given task and the link of the task is here...  http://dilipbarad.blogspot.in/2014/12/t-s-eliot-tradition-and-individual.html?m=1

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 quote, "Some can absorb knowledge, the more tardy must sweat for it. Shakespeare from plutarch than most men could from the whole british museum"

In above given quote Eliot talks about the greatness of Shakespeare and his historical sense. Before he says that a writer or reader should have well read and also having the full understanding and knowledge of history but he find Shakespeare exception and then again he try to justify his thought and says that Shakespeare has seems to absorb the knowledge of his age and not only his age but the past ages also and he has the great understanding which learned men does not have. He says in this quote that historical sense or tradition is not inherited one must have to do a great labor to achieve this.

5) Explain "Honest criticism and sensitive appretiation is directed not upon the poet butupon the poetry."

In this quote Eliot wants to shift attention from the author to the text. Eliot wants to say that for the honest criticism the critic should only concern or focus on only the work not on the author or something else also they have to be free from all their prejudices then and then a critic can give a honest criticism on any work and for sensitive appreciation also to concern about only the work because a critic might have some problem or some prejudices about the author which should not affect the talent of the writer critic should forget all things while giving any views about any work and for make it honest concentration upon only a work is needed.

6) How would you like to explain Eliot's theoy of depersonalization? You can Explain with the help of chemical reaction in presence of catalyst agent, platinum.

To make the thought of depersonalizing clear Eliot uses science. He gave an example of chemical reaction. He describe the process of making sulfuric acid and he says that sulfuric acid made from sulfur dioxide and water but the process did not take place if platinum is not available though platinum plays very vital role in process then even it doesn’t have existent in sulfuric acid. Eliot also says the same thing that the man who suffers and the mind which creates both should different. Mind should absorb every emotion clearly and then with the full consciousness poet create a work it should not have any element of poet’s own self in work. Though the poet’s own self is necessary to create work but it should not reflect in work. This is what the theory of depersonalization.

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."

As per my thinking one can write critique on Eliot’s two points
1) Eliot’s idea of Tradition
2) Eliot’s view of escape from emotion and escape from personality

These are the two points on which we can analyse T.S Eliot as a critic.
 

Thank you.