T. S . Eliot- The Critic-2
Thomas Stearns Eliot was undeniably the most influential critic of his generation.
A number of his striking phrases
–“Objective Correlation , dissociation of sensibility” have passed into the
general currency of criticism. Eliot is
the standard starting point of for most modern discussions of Elizabethan and
Jacobean literature . Most important of all, he the last major figure in the
line of poet-critics for whom poetry and criticism offer complementary paths to
understand what matters in culture.
In his book published in 1957 he categorized poetry based on the three
voices _ Three Voices of Poetry. Here
he discussed dramatic poetry as well as lyrical and epic poetry.
Three Voices of Poetry:-
1.
The
voice of the poet talking to himself or to no body . i.e. subjective
personality of the poet. The Lyric is the ideal example of of this type.The
poet here speaks to himself in his own voice.
2.
In
second type of voice the poet writes for an audience which means material suits
the readers i.e. though he is writing in his own voice/person but he keeps in mind that he is addressing
his reader. Epic and non-dramatic verse are the ideal example of this type.
3.
The
third voice is the voice in dramatic poetry, he creates imaginary characters or
we can say dramatic characters speaking in verse.Poet does not speak his own
person but with in the limits of one imaginary character addressing another
imaginary character.
Poetic Communication:
Distinction between poet speaking to himself and the port speaking to
other people.
Difference among dramatic , quasidramatic and non-dramatic verse.
Love poetry is meant to be enjoyed by all.
Love poetry or lyric is a form through which the poet speaks to one
person alone. “The Epistle” in which the poet addresses a particular person.
Eliot said that when a work is published it is quite clearly for a larger
audience than one person. The proper language of love is “Prose”said Eliot . If
one wants to talk his beloved Prose is ideal mediam.
Amit Vashist
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