Thinking activity on T.S.Eliot : Traditional and Individual Talen

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

(A)-:Yes, I agree with the concept of tradition given by Eliot in his essay.  Firstly Eliot’s conception of tradition is dynamic one and it is constantly changing, growing and becoming different from what it was. He also says that Tradition is not slavish imitation of the past. And it cannot be obtained by hard labor. Tradition can be obtained by those who have the historical sense. And last we can say that Eliot in his essay critizes the romantic and favors tradition.




(2) What do you understand by Historical Sense?

(A) -:According to me a writer or even a critic must have Historical sense. As Eliot says that 
"The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence" If a writer or critic has a Historical sense than he could be more clear in his work. Because this sense involves both sense: The sense of Past and The sense of Present.

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

(A)-:" 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 " As we just discussed in the immortality previous section that Eliot demands from his poets as we'll as from his readers a wide reading. What he also then finds is that is that Shakespeare soems to be unexceptional because it he says that every one has to be very well read every creative artist and then coming down to the modern readers.It we look at Shakespeare blograihy , we find that there is no motion that Shakespeare went to any university.Mathew Arnold in the essay called Function of criticism at the present Time .'groat opochs of creativity' doesn't come often and he mentions .Critics have a very important role to play . critics should provide fresh ideas to the authors . 

(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".

(A)-: "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 Eliot explain that to be a good poet one must have the common sense. It is not necessary for a poet to read all the literary history of the past but one has to have understanding of human nature. Like the Shakespeare who is not a university student or very educated fellow, but he easily understood everything which the university wits and his contemporary could not.  there are examples like Narsinh Maheta, Meera, Kabir etc. 

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

(A)-: Many a time we see that critics(who are not aware) criticizes writer or a poet instead of his work. Writer or poet's image could not be identified with his work. Many a time their work are far better than their character. and if the critic will focus on their character rather than their work than its a limitation of a critic. 

(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.

(A)-:T.S.Eliot gives an example of a chemical process to explain his theory of denationalization . 

                                   
                                                  Catalist (poet’s heart)
                            SO3 + H2O========== H2SO4 
                                                 Platinum (poet’s mind)

Eliot's theory of depersonalization is related with the chemical process in this process person is not present in the poem and he is not important also. Poetry is not an expression but it is an escape from emotion.  In the chemical process platinum is the mind of the poet.  Oxygen is emotions. And Sulphur dioxide is the feeling of man. Here without platinum the process cannot possible. And even after the chemical process there is not presence of platinum found in it. So is that the poets mind’s presence is important for the creation of the poetry, but in poetry his mind does not reflected.

(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."

(A)-:According to this quote poet writers the poetry with the personal emotion and feeling poet sometime through his writing poet clearly hide itself from that emotion that was poet ,not express  his personal emotion but escape  from emotion. 

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

(A)-:One can write critique on “T.S.Eliot as a critic” from the following points mentioned in his essay:
• "Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry."
• “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."