nt (OR) Th dition And Individua cal Manif ali RUE fficiay divid rs Impe! Tradition and Individual Taleqy’ ‘What makes Eliot's essays iticism. 7” Kil literary critics! ‘ . Si 2 epoch making of eadtion is ania tne sense hat it it * influences and gets influenced by the Inds Boe : be in the light of his essay, Tradition and In 3A Q: Following Ellot’s concept tion of tradition, give “the exposition g the relation of the poet to the past”? Ans. “Honest criticism and sensitive appre mn the poetry.” : re Poe ioe and Tedividtal Talent is perhops the most famous of Eliot essays. It is regarded as “an unofficial manifesto of his critical principles» In this essay, Eliot rejects the undue stress on individuality and condemns the English for “having uncritical turn’of mind”, He establishes a close link between “Tradition” and writing of the genitss pocts. "~ : Eliot's concept of “Tradition”: is classical one. It has threefold significance. The historical sense. enables a writer to write not only with his own generation in mind but with a feeling. that the whole of thé literature from Homer Down to the literature ‘of his ‘own country forms a continuous wadition: To him, knowledge of “Tradition”, play$ vital role in te development of personal ‘talent. Tradition is “a: matter of -much wider significance. It can’t be inherited and it you-want it you ‘must obtain it by great labor it involves the historical sense...” It expresses the relation between the poet and literary tradition. It is 8 dynamic concept as it keeps on changing all the time with the addition of nev works. As a result of this addition, the past is modified while the present 3 affected by the past. In Eliot's view, Bay “The best and the most individual parts of the poet may be thos? in which he reminds us his ancestors, the dead poets.” However, tradition doesn’t mean repetition, of what has been said of done before. In fact, novelty is preferable to repetition, But “Tradition” involves hard labor to achieve historical sens whereas historical sense involves a perception “not of the ast, but also of its presence.” The historical con ee Paste te Pi istorical sense.compels a poet to Wt" with the feeling that whole the literature of th " has simultaneous existence. world and history country To quote Eliot’s own words, “One who has historical sense feels th ; iterate | i at the whole of the litera! of Europe from Homer down to his own day, including the literature af his country forms one continuous literary tradition.” jot accepts that the wri ceennt Eliot accept riter bas his own value and significa’ individually in isolation. To judge the work of 2 nivale an ciation is directed not upon! «pas eee inde nelps 2 s. appens : eat ne iot ” genificant set should i amaturity: 2 rand shou srocess oF 84 pir Eliot ‘According .t himself to s‘ ‘We may und Th everywhere The be curbed. :1 He must be “Gr escape fron Acct who goes th Petsonal_ se} these. scatteWee HONEY ©! 134 Prof. M. Sajid Iqbal compare and contrast his work with the works of the past poets or artists. Actually “such a comparison or contrast will help us understand the real worth of the new writer,” The poct with a P se of tradition will neither reject the past nor * accepts it blindly. Hi milates (absorbs) the pi such a way that it becomes a part of his: self, When he creates the work, it is something new, it has undistinguishable influence of the past and the present. Thus, the past helps to’understand the present and the present throws light on the past. 7 “What happens when a new work of art is created is something, that happens simultanconsly to all the works of art that preceded it.” i ys that the past must be critically,examined and only the significant in it should be acquired. The sense of tradition doesn’t mean that the poet should examine only the past poets of his liking. This is the sign of immaturity and inexperience. But he should develop conscious awareness of the past and should continue to develop this awareness thorough out his career. This process of gaining maturity involves a “critical extinction of personality.” Eliot further explains his theory of “impersonality of poetry”. According to this ‘theory, “The artist (poet) must continually surrender himself to something more valuable i.e. literary tradition” We may understand this theory form these words “The -poet must be present in his writings, as God is found everywhere but seen nowhere.” F . The artist must acquire more and more objectivity, subjectivity must be curbed. The passions and emotions of the artist must be dépersonalized. He must be as impersonal and objective as a scientist. “Great works don’t express the personal emotion of the poet. It is - escape from emotion.” - . According to Eliot, there are two beings in the poet, one is the man who goes through life, experiences, emotions, thinks and feels and suffers in a personal sense. The other being is artist or poct’s mind that amalgamates these scattered emotions, feelings and experiences into new wholes. It is noteworthy that the poet doesn’t express his emotions or experiences directly. He escapes into artistic being to express them. This activity is very much femoved from the personal experience. - Thus; Eliot says, - : “The more perfect the artist, the more completely separate in him will be the man who suffers and the man i.e. mind which creates.” Eliot concludes by saying : . “Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion, itis not an expression of personality but an escape from personality.” - We sce that Bliot doesn’t deny personality or emotion to the poet as a man, Indeed, these things are necessary to become a poet, what he implies is that “The personal experiences of the poet should be transmnuted into; Something impersonal, objective and universally valid.” ' LE PRMD ELE” aHONEY Criticism 135 Prof. M. Sajid Iqbal In fact, personal life needs not to be depersonalized rather it has to be given a universal force, In the same way, Eliot says that “Talent is acquired through a careful study of Poetry, and tradition, “can’t be inherited, and if you want it, you must obtain it by great labor.” ARR AR Rok ak ak ok.