Eliot as a critic

A modern poet-critic, Thomas Stearns Eliot, popularly known as a T S Eliot, was a versatile personality of the 20th century. He made a significant contribution to the field of literary criticism and strongly influenced the school of new criticism. His work may be broadly grouped into three categories: (a) Theoretical Criticism, dealing with the principles of literature, (b) Descriptive and Practical Criticism, and (c) Theological essay. His critical contribution includes- Tradition and the Individual Talent (1919), The Function of Criticism (1923), and The Frontier of Criticism (1956).

His critical essay 'Tradition and the Individual Talent' published in 1919, has three parts: one deals with the concept of Tradition, the second gives a theory of Impersonality, and the third is a summary of all. Through this essay, he influenced the new criticism by introducing the idea that the value of a work of art must be viewed in the context of the artist's previous work, a "simultaneous order of work," i.e. Tradition. In the beginning, Eliot says that tradition explains the relation of a poem or a work of the Dead poet and artist. Although he values the tradition, but also makes us cautious that-

                     “Tradition is not a blind adherence”.

It is different from imitation. According to him or Eliot-

             “Tradition cannot be inherited, but only achieved with great labour”

It involves a historical sense which enables the poet to perceive not only the pastness of the past but also its present. After rejecting Wordsworth's theory of poetry having-

“It's origin in emotion recollected in tranquillity”.

He points out that poetry is only a concentration of several experiences that produce new things. 

Eliot argues that "honest criticism" and "sensitive appreciation" are directed not at the poet but at poetry. This indicates the actual beginning of new criticism, where the focus shifts from author to text. Thus, Eliot emphasises objectivity in poetry. He also defines the poet's responsibility and mentions-

"The progress of an artist is continuous self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality”.

Through the analogy of a chemical reaction, he puts his view and asserts that the poet's mind should be like the strait of platinum, that is, a catalyst. He or she should not express his or her personal emotions, desires or feelings in his poetry or work. For him-

                        

“Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion, not an expression of the personality but an escape from personality”.

In his second essay, 'The Function of Criticism', published in 1923, Eliot enumerates and begins-

“Criticism must always proceed and in view of which roughly speaking, appears to be the elucidation of a work of art and the correction of the test.”

He also defines the primary objective of a critical endeavour as the 'commentation and exposition' of works of art by means of written words. The primary interest of a true critic is to help their reader to understand and enjoy the poetry of a particular poet.

He asserts that “a true interpretation is not an interpretation at all”. But merely putting the reader in possession of facts which he would otherwise miss. Eliot also talks about the comparison and analysis that are the chief tools of critics and need to be handled with great care.

In his third essay, 'Frontiers of Criticism' published in 1956, Eliot says-

"A critic must have respect for the Frontier of Criticism, that is, there are limits, exceeding which literary criticism messages to be literary”.

A critic who traces the origin and source of a poem is bound to go beyond the Frontier of Criticism, for example, Eliot illustrates Wordsworth's Lucy poem and states that analysis of the relationship of Wordsworth with Lucy provides or facilitates us to understand Lucy's poem any better than we did before.

Eliot extremely criticizes "The Lemon Squeezer School of Criticism" and says such critics on many occasions find out the meaning of the poem which is quite different from that which is poet wanted it to mean.

T. S. Eliot put forward a new way of interpreting works of art in which critics must have a sense of tradition and courage to extinct their own personality. A true critic helps his reader to understand the poem or poetry of a particular kind of poet, keeping himself or herself within the Frontier of Criticism.

References:-

http://www.patnacollege.org/pdf/apr2020/T.S%20Eliot's%20Tradition%20and%20the%20Individual%20Talent.pdf
T.S Eliot And His Three Essays by Dr Jay Prakash Singh.