Q. Emerson’s influence of nature on American Scholar.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the greatest thinkers and writer of American. He has been called the Father of American Transcendentalism. He was born in 1803 and was brought up in
Emerson’s small prose poem Nature has been called “the Bible of Transcendentalism.” He believed that there is divinity within the human soul. He was himself inspired --- divinely inspired. Transcendentalism is one who believes in the existence of a divine world, beyound and above the world of senses. The divine can’t be known by reason or national analyses but it can be felt and experienced by the spirit through intuition. The divine is referred to as “the over- soul”, by Emerson. And it was referred to as “the soul of all the world” by Wordsworth. The over- soul is beauty, love, wisdom and power. The internal world is but the raiment or outer covering of the divine. Man can know the divine and ultimately become one with it through the agency of nature which speech to the soul not to the reasoning faculty. If man comes to nature in a mood of wise passivity and allows influences from nature to enter into his soul we can see into the heart of things. Thus there is oneness of God, man and nature. The transcendentalist stressed the worth of the individual, the dignity of the human soul. They taught man to rely on himself, on his own intuition, natural instincts and impulses and not on any authority outside him-self or no tradition, however sacred or old.
Emerson was influenced by the Wordsworth and Coleridge. His mystic vision is significant. Human soul should be inspired by the divine spirit. Truth, beauty and goodness exist in nature. Man, nature and God are the topics of his philosophy. Nature is helpful to human in the realization of his higher ends and in the fulfillment of his destiny. Emerson considers body as a part of nature. We can see our own reflection through the nature. Nature is a symbol of spirit. He also says that beauty and truth are one and the same things. Our life is embosomed in beauty, freedom of the individual. It is man’s most precious inheritance. The soul must have a free play. When man’s soul breathes through his intellect, it is genius. When it breathes through his will, it is virtue. When it flows through his affection, it is love.
The influences of nature upon the mind of scholar are of the first and foremost importance. Emerson studies the phenomena of nature. American scholar is influenced by nature. He comes to the conclusion that the old precept “Know thyself” and the modern precept “Study of nature”, become at last one maxim.
The Game of Ninepins: Ninepins is a game/sport in which a participant rolls wooden balls on a lane in an attempt to knock down nine battle-shaped wooden pins arranged in the shape of a diamond. The participant may bowl up to three balls to knock down all the pins. Ninepins is similar to the modern sport of bowling.
Q. Discuss some major Archetype used in literature?
Every nation has its own distinguishing mythology that may be reflected in legend, folklore and ideology. In the general sense myth is universal. An archetype is essentially an element of one’s literary experience. At the same time archetypes are universal symbols. There is a significant relation between myths and archetypes. They are very concerned to find out the mysterious elements of literary works. Some major archetypes used in literature are city below---
These symbols remain unchanged. The Sky symbolizes father and Earth mother. Water symbolizes the mystery of creation, purification and redemption. The Sea signifies the mother of all life. River signifies death and rebirth. The Sun indicates law in nature, creative energy. Rising Sun specifies enlightenment, birth and creation. Setting Sun specifies death.
Some colours used in literature as archetypes. Red symbolizes violent passion, blood, sacrifice. Green symbolizes stands for hope. Blue signifies spiritual purity. Black signifies darkness, evil. White indicates purity, innocence.
Some numbers used in literature as archetypes. Three symbolizes light, the male principle. Four indicates earth, nature and the female principle. Seven, the most potent of all symbolic numbers- signifying the union of three and four, perfect order.
Circle symbolizes unity, wholeness. Egg indicates the mystery of life. Serpent signifies evil, wisdom. Garden specifies the paradise, innocence. Tree denotes the life of the cosmos, immortality. Desert symbolizes death.
The archetypal woman: The Good Mother, associated with the life principle, birth, warmth, nourishment, growth, abundance. The Terrible Mother symbolizes the witch, sorceress, siren, whore, fear, danger, darkness, death. The Soul Mate indicates the Sophia figure, Holy mother, the princess, beautiful lady, spiritual fulfillment.
The wise old man: Personification of the spiritual principle, representing, knowledge, reflection, wisdom, cleverness and intuition on the one hand. On the other, moral qualities such as good will and readiness to help, which make his “spiritual” character sufficiently plain--- A part from his cleverness, wisdom and the old man is also notable for his moral qualities, what is more, he even tests the moral qualities of others and makes gifts dependent on the test. The old man always appears when the hero is in a hopeless and desperate situation from which only profound reflection or a lucky idea can extricate him. But since for internal and external reasons, the hero can not accomplish this himself the knowledge need to compensate the deficiency comes in the form of a personified thought, in the shape of this sagacious and helpful old man.
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| Mohammad Tazul Islam Sarker Diploma in Human Rights Mobile- 01911-264586/01717545492 Email-Tazul_taz@yahoo.com |
Class Struggle: - All the different of human races are full of class struggle. One class dominates others. The upper class shows very futile attempt against lower class. This class struggle is reflected through literature. Without society we can not think literature. Marx said all the different of human races are full of class struggle. There is a tussle. Those who write against good side and bad side they are the real writers. This is the Marx’s theory.
Clear Light of Day
----Anita Desai
Anita Desai is a female novelist of
Bim is the central character of this novel and she is considered here as a protagonist. In the beginning of this novel, we come to see that Mr. and Mrs. Das living in an old rented house in Old Delhi. They had four children, two boys and two girls. They are Raja, Bim,
Mr. and Mrs. Das were busy with their own affairs and do not make an effort themselves about the needs of their children. The kind of unhappy situation creates fear, insecurity, distrust and anxiety as the children grow up. Mr. Das sent his son Raja in
Baba is mentally retarded child. Raja, the first son of Das family and he is a vagabond. He has no headache about his family. By this time Raja has become quite intimate with Hyder Ali and his family because of his interest in Urdu poetry which is encouraged by Hyder Ali, who has allowed a free access to Raja to his large collection of Urdu books. It is during Raja’s illness that Hyder Ali leaves
Bim is the passing her days through starvation and mental agony. She is not a self-centered girl rather she is self-sacrificed. She believes that happiness lies in sacrificing not in self-centeredness. Raja leaves for
Bim’s younger sister
In spirit of these emotion shocks, Bim continues to face life with courage and determination. She feels inferior to Raja and Tara who have achieved what they wished for. She tries to make up for her own failure and frustration in life by looking after the helpless Baba. Her spirit of self-sacrifice gives her an unconscious feeling of superiority over the others. Bim is now a lecturer in history in a women’s college in Old Delhi and Raja is the father of five daughters and a son.
Tara and Bakul arrive in India from USA. They stay with Bim and Baba they also decide to go to Hyderabad to attend the wedding of Raja’s eldest daughter. Bim and Baba are also invited. Bim has decided not to go to wedding. Bim sends a loving message to Raja. In accordance with her resolve to look after Baba and to do many other things in life. Bim has remained confirm bachelor. One day she listens a song of Guru. This song brings to Bim’s mind the following line from TS Eliot “Time the destroyer is time the preserver”. In this final episode Bim realizes that basically and essentially the bond between her, Raja, Tara, and Baba has remained, and will remain, unshaken.
| Mohammad Tazul Islam Sarker Diploma in Human Rights Mobile- 01911-264586/01717545492 Email-Tazul_taz@yahoo.com |
In fine, we can say that Clear Light of Day is one of Anita Desai’s most outstanding novels. Modern crisis is being reflected through her writing. It is an autobiographical novel of her.
Q. Discuss Leavis’s idea of how society sustains in literature. / Relationship between
Literature and Society.
F.R. Leavis a professor and a critic is regarded as an outstanding figure of new criticism in
Literature is nothing but the reflection of human characters. It is the criticism and interpretation of life through verbosity and ornamental languages which evokes deep feelings. Actually literature is the mirror of society, what happened in the society is reflected in literature. Literature and society both are situated side by side. According to Indian critic “Literature accompanies with Society”. The relation between literature and society is like body and soul. Society is body and literature its soul. Leavis points out that the study of literature is the study of human life. To him, human life is synonymous to society.
Literature describes the suffering of human life. A man spends his life in sorrow and joy. As a society human being, man has some responsibility towards the society. A man can not live without society. Man’s feelings, emotion, attitudes as well as life picture are depicted in the literature. Literature refers the story of human society.
Man’s life and literature are closely related. Literature mentions the origin of human race, creation of human society and expansion of different literary activities. All the different of human races are full of class struggle. One class dominates others. The upper class shows very futile attempt against lower class. This class struggle is reflected through literature. Without society we can not think literature. Marx said all the different of human races are full of class struggle. There is a tussle. Those who write against good side and bad side they are the real writers. This is the Marx’s theory.
Marx’s writer could be called progressive writer. Those who try to establish a bond with the working class are called progressive. The duty of the writer is identify him with the working class. F.R. Leavis is against Marx’s theory in literature because Leavis thought that “Literature as a matter of isolated works of art, belonging to a realm of pure literature values.”
T. S Eliot’s theory on literature is that “Literature is the expression of tradition not of an art”. A literature that is must be thought of essentially something more than an accumulation of separate works. It has an organic form in relation to which the individual writer has his significance and his being. But F.R. Leavis said that in the nature of this way of thinking seems to me inevitable for anyone who thinks about literature. Thus he established the intimate relationship between literature and society.
In fine, we can say that society is unproductive without literature and literature is blind without society. Society can produce best and immortal literature. F.R Leavis is modern critic who exhibits in this essay literature and society are closely related. They are interrelated.
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Tradition: - tradition is a part of the living culture of the past and working in the order of the present. Tradition is not conventional. It is to achieve. It can be achieved by the individual talent. It cannot be inherited.
Moby-Dick
--- Herman Melville
Moby-Dick is a classic and best-known American novel. It is regarded as Melville’s masterpiece. Herman Melville was born on the 1st August, 1819 in the city of New York. The writer described this book as a romance of adventure. We can know the story of Moby-Dick through the statement of Ishmael. He is a narrator.
Ahab is the hero of this novel as well as a captain of the ship. He has lost his leg by the attack of white whale. He used an artificial leg which is made of whole- bone. He wanted to take revenge on white whale. So, he has gone on sea voyage with some crews.
To Ahab, the white whale is an evil. The evil nature of this monster became established in Ahab’s mind on the day when one of his legs had been snatched away by the white whale in an encounter. Ahab has cherished a wild cruelty against the white whale. He would like to kill the white whale. He chases white whale and faced many problems on sea voyage. In the final encounter, Ahab and his followers are killed without Ishmael.
This novel has a deeper meaning. This novel symbolizes the conflict between good and evil, which is always going on this world. Captain Ahab is in-spite his ungodliness and blasphemy, a good man on the whole. Ahab has humanities. Ahab’s crusade against the white whale has been interpreted as the fight of the principle of goodness against the principle of evil symbolized by the white whale. The white whale is the enemy of man, the ferocity of the whale symbolizes the evil. The whale is a source of nourishment for human beings.
Ahab is evil and blasphemous. One critic describes him as both hero and villain. Some critic says that white whale symbolizes goodness while Ahab symbolizes evil. They also think that white whale represents God, an agent of God’s revenge upon evil men likes Ahab. Ahab thinks he is a superior to the rest of mankind. He has excessive pride. He is guilty of a distorted self-reliance.
Moby-Dick is a physical adventure and a psychological novel. It indicates the hidden matter of the human mind. It describes the voyage is two fold, it is a voyage upon the seas, and it is a voyage into the human mind. This novel indicates the depths of the human mind.
In fine, we can say that Ahab was a very simple man but after losing his leg he became crazy. He wanted to take revenge on white whale by killing it. He wanted to overtake man’s limitation.
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Seize the Day
---Soul Bellow
Soul Bellow is a twentieth century novelist. He is a Age-worthy novelist. He shows materialism dominates all corners of American life pursuit of money is the only motto of each American. Bellow’s one of the most remarkable creation is Seize the Day. In this novel he depicts the lurid picture of the capitalistic, competitive American moral and social chaos.
‘Seize’ means catch or hold and ‘Day’ means present time or present movement. So, “Seize the Day” means catch the present time or catch the valuable time. The past is no good to us. The future is full of anxiety. Only present is real the here and now.
Tommy Wilhelm is the protagonist as well as the central character and a tragic hero in this novel. He is about forty three years old. Tommy’s father aged, rich successful Dr. Adler lives at hotel Gloriana. He is a self-centered and narrow minded. Professionally Dr. Adler is very successful man. He is very well-known doctor in New York. On the other hand, Tommy has failed in every sectors of his life. The mentality of Tommy and his father is totally different. He wants help from his father but his father considers him as a patient and gives advice as a doctor. So, there is a conflict with father and son.
About 20 years ago, Tommy went Hollywood to be an actor before completing college education. It was his first mistaken. To marry Margaret was another great mistake. Their conjugal life has broken. They live now separately. Margaret lives with her two sons far away from Tommy. Tommy has to pay the all expense of his two sons. During telephone conversation his wife wants money. Here cordial love is absent.
They are busy only for their own interest. They are worshipers of money. Tommy is different from them. He is very kind and soft minded. He has gotten these good qualities from his mother. Tommy wants Margaret’s help. Once he spent huge money for her education purposes. Now he wants that his wife should take job in order to relax his load. He is very worried of his two sons. His wife has made them rebellious against him.
Mentally shocked Tommy gets consolation from Tamkin. So, he considers Tamkin as a substitute father. Tamkin is a fake and cheat. He proposes Tommy to business with him. He also tempted Tommy that from this business they can earn a big amount of money. Tamkin cheated to Tommy last seven hundred dollars.
Tommy was broken hearted. He was crying for losing everything. He was searching the existence of Tamkin with tormented mind and he saw Tamkin in a funeral pyre with a death body. Tommy follows Tamkin but police stopped his movement. Tamkin took this opportunity and flee. Tommy came to the coffin and looked at the dead body. His heart-beat increased. He compared himself to the dead body. Tommy thought that the dead man was disappointed in his life like. He could not control his mind. He started crying loudly.
In fine, we can say that Tommy has no sky-kissing ambition. He wants to lead very simple life. Actually he is a victim of mechanic society. He not only attains emancipation but achieves purification. It is Bellow’s a wonderful synthesis of an artistic creation.
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Third Scaffold Scene
The third and final scaffold scene comes at the end of the story. During the seven years that have passed, then Hester was wearing the scarlet letter on her bosom. At that moment Dimmesdale had understood that he is a guilty man like Hester. Then he reveals his own scarlet letter to the astonished people and dies a spiritual death by keeping his head on the hands of Hester.
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Dr. Tamkin
Mentally shocked Tommy gets consolation from Tamkin. So, he considers Tamkin as a substitute father. Tamkin is a fake and cheat. He always presents himself as philosopher, psychologist and medicinist. At Tamkin’s hands, Tommy gradually becomes a puppet. He proposes Tommy to business with him. He also tempted Tommy that from this business they can earn a big amount of money. Tamkin cheated to Tommy last seven hundred dollars.
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Q. What is Transcendentalism?
Transcendentalism means “beyound” and “above” hence a transcendentalist is one who believes in the existence of a divine world, beyound and above the world of the senses. The divine can’t be known by reason or national analyses but it can be felt and experienced by the spirit through intuition. The divine is referred to as “the over- soul”, by Emerson. The transcendentalist stressed the worth of the individual, the dignity of the human soul. Transcendentalism is a 19th century movement in the Romantic tradition, which held that every individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition. Which transcendent reason and sensory experience. The basic tenets of the transcendentalist are:-
(1) A belief that God is present in every aspect of nature, including every human being.
(2) The conviction that every one is capable of apprehending God through the use of intuition.
(3) The belief that all of nature is symbolic of the spirit.
A corollary of this beliefs is an optimistic view of the world as good and as evil as nonexistent.
Q. What is Phi Beta Kappa?
Phi Beta Kappa is a society for college and university students who are very much successful in their studied. The society was founded in 1776 by undergraduates of the
Personification: - The Catskill as a character: At the outset of his story Washington Irving uses personification to invest the
Thomas Paine: - Thomas Paine was an English pamphleteer, revolutionary, radical, inventor and intellectual. On
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The Guide
---- R.K Narayan
R.K. Narayan is now regarded as one of the greatest of Indians writing in English. He is not only a great novelist, but also an Indo- Anglian novelist. He is very pragmatic and realistic novelist. The Guide is one of the most popular novels of him. He was awarded for The Guise in 1960. The Guide is very theme base. The title has been entitled according to the guide of hero. In this novel writer keenly described the culture of Indian through the character of Raju.
Raju is the hero of this novel who is the guide. He himself guides. He is the protagonist. His life is very mysterious and eventful. He was born in a lower middle–class family of Malgudi. He was not so good at studies but his father wants to make him educated man. His father condemned him as a “clay-headed boy”. He moves like vagabond. So his father set up him as a shopkeeper. In a short period of time he become more popular because he has a convince power to any man.
In a time, he does not like this profession. So he wants to go to Malgudi rail station, where he playing the role of a tourists guide. One day Raju saw that Rosie and her husband had come to this rail station. To saw them he went to them very fast and says “I can help you”. Actually, to see Rosie Raju falls in love at the first sight.
Raju is not a good student but he is an intelligent. He has an eloquence power. He pretends as a master degree holder but he is only class eight educated man. Rosie is very beautiful and well formed, her beauty compare with Hellenic beauty. She is thirty years old and she completed her M.A degree in economics. On the other hand her husband Marco who is fifty up year’s old man. He is an archeologist. This place is unknown for them. So they take Raju as a guide.
As a tourists guide, Raju knows all place. Rosie says her husband to go to any other place for moving but Marco has no enough time. So he says you may go with Raju. Raju has an eloquent power by which he wins Rosie heart. They are going to Raju’s house where Raju’s mother lives. Here we see the conflict between mother and son. His mother tells him to spend Rosie to her husband’s house. But he has not followed his mother advice. His mother has recited paternal house. He is not shock for that. He is continuing illicit relation with Rosie.
Once Raju and Rosie saw snake charmer was playing with some snake. Raju thinks that it is one kind of way to earn money with Rosie dancing. When Raju propose Rosie to dance, Rosie says –
“I think I would be very happy, if I could do that.
I have so many ideas. I’d like to try.”
This is one kind of freedom to Rosie. She will enjoy herself and she will earn money. Raju has no ethical code of life. Now Rosie is the dancer and Raju is the manager.
But we see that Raju is addicted to gamble, drinks and drug. So they can’t preserve money. One day Raju know from Rosie, her jewellery box has been deposited in a bank of Malgudi. He has practices to signature of Rosie because this jewellery box withdraws only Rosie. Ultimately he successful withdraws the jewellery box from bank. He arrested by police because Marco has flied case. Rosie has identified Raju’s real character. She remembers her husband nostalgically ----
“After all, he is my husband. I have to respect him. I cannot leave him there.”
Raju came back from jail after three years. Now he is totally changed from the past. He has long beard. He looks like a saint. He was taking rest on the bank of river, a few miles away from Malgudi. Velan mistakes him for a holy man and mentions his problem to him. He invited to Raju go to his house. Raju commits about the sister of Velan, just like Majid of lalshalu, he says—
“I wish I had asked him what the age of the girl was.”
When Velan’s sister come to meet Raju with a basket full of fruits. Raju says---
“What is the necessity of bringing these fruits?”
Velan’s problem is solved by Raju. The simple villagers take him to be a holy man and begin to worship him and bring lots of eatables as gifts for him. Raju acts like a saint, delivers sermons and tries to solve the problems of the villagers.
However, there is severe famine and drought in the village. The crops do not grow for drought. So the villagers came to Raju for bringing down rain. Raju has started his fasting for bringing down rain. While fasting, he says---
“For the first time in his life, he was making an earnest effort,
for the first time, he was learning the thrill of full
application outside money and love.”
The people of various professions came to see Raju. The villagers requested Raju to come out from this cannel. But he says ---
“If by avoiding food I should help the trees bloom
And the grass grow, why not do it thoroughly.”
On the 12th days of his fast, he indicates of rain to Velan. At last Raju exhausted and fall down.
At the end of this novel we find changes in Raju’s mind. He fells mental agony. Raju is the tourist guide turned prisoner and the prisoner turned saint, becomes a martyr for the cause of the common people. The Guide is a regional novel and it is full of ironical statements. Raju is rise and fall results in tragic-comic irony.
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The Scarlet Letter
--Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathanial
In The Scarlet Letter “The Scarlet” means ‘red’ and “Letter” means ‘A’ and ‘A’ means ‘Adultery’. So “The Scarlet Letter” means ‘red A’.
Hester Prynne is the center character as well as heroine; she is tall young woman having an elegant figure. She has dark, abundant and glossy hair, a face which is beautiful with regular features, and deep black eyes. She looks like a young beautiful lady, with mesmerizing and voluptuous beauty just like Hellenic beauty. She had been prevailed upon to marry an old man.
Roger Chillingworth, the husband of Hester Prynne, a medical doctor and a cold, intellectual scientist, who has no passion and emotion for his wife. He was fifty five years old, who proved to be an unmatched husband. On the other hand, Herter was only twenty three years old. So she was very much passionate and emotional. Hester has no love for her husband, and then she falls in love with the brilliant, popular, young church Author Dimmesdale.
Hester Prynne is a ‘fallen’ woman, who does not have any profound or sense of guilt. She is aware of having injured her husband and of having violated the moral code of society, but she does not believe that she has committed sin against God or against herself. She is a passionate, sensual type of woman, who is able to keep her sensuality under control.
Dimmesdale is a priest, a representative figure of Puritanism. He is respected by all classes of people because of he has spiritual and divine quality. When Chillingworth was abroad, Hester would go to church and get spiritual comfort from Dimmesdale. Here adultery was committed. Hester becomes pregnant by the priest Dimmesdale.
The first scaffold scene takes place at mid-day. Hester stand on the platform of the pillory carrying her baby in her arms, while people stand below. The leaders of the community stand above on a balcony and Dimmesdale also. Hester knows Dimmesdale is a man of honour, dignity and status. So she wanted to save the prestige of Dimmesdale very tacked fully and sympathetically. We can easily realize that both Dimmesdale and Hester love each other cordially. Chillingworth requested Hester to express the name of guilty person but she says-----
“My child will not get an earthly father
She will get a heavenly father”
The second scaffold scene in the story comes precisely at its middle. This is scene of Dimmesdale’s mockery of penitence. This scene has been staged at midnight, when every body is very busy to sleep very soundly and peacefully. Suddenly Hester and
The third and final scaffold scene comes at the end of the story. During the seven years that have passed, then Hester was wearing the scarlet letter on her bosom. At that moment Dimmesdale had understood that he is a guilty man like Hester. Then he reveals his own scarlet letter to the astonished people and dies a spiritual death by keeping his head on the hands of Hester.
So we can say that Hester is the most focusing character in The Scarlet Letter. She has been drawn by Hawthorne on a large scale not only in body but also in heart. We feel that we are close to her all the time and we are completely convinced of her flesh and blood, of her heart and mind.
Or
Ultimately we can comment that Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is an artistic and brilliant novel which reflects puritanical intolerance and punishment. Actually it is the focal and realistic picture of the age, where lies the greatness of Hawthorne.
Q. Eliot’s theory of impersonality.
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in
Eliot’s impersonality theory is his own view of the process of poetic creation. These theories deal with the role of the poet’s emotion and faith together with his experience in the process of his creative art. But his theory is a complete denial of the poet’s personality.
According to Eliot, the poet’s mind does not take any active part but it is there only as a catalyst in a chemical laboratory. He draws the example of the making of Sulphuric acid by a mixture of Oxygen and
Eliot says that poetry is not a turning loose of emotion but an escape from emotion. It is not the expression of personality but an escape of personality. He points out the relation of the poem to its author and mentions that the poem has no relation to the poet. The mind of poet is like the catalytic agent. The personality of the poet does not find expression in his poetry.
The mind of the poet acts a catalyst. It operates upon either partly upon the experience/ passion of the poet himself. But the experience/ passions are only the material of poetry. The poetic mind transmutes them into new artistic wholes, thus surrendering personal emotion to the emotion of art. Thus the man who suffers and the mind that creates are completely different entities. The emotion of art is always complex but its complexity is quite different from that of the emotion in poetry is an error which leads only to eccentricity in poetry.
Eliot attacks Wordsworth’s definition of poetry as “emotion recollected in tranquility”. He mentions that neither emotion as such non recollection is poetry. The poetic process, on the other hand, implies a concentration which is not achieved consciously.
In fine, we can say that Eliot gives his own ideas and views in this essay. He was opposed to the Romantic. He was the greatest critic as well as a poet of his age. He was the representing figure of 20th century in the field of modern English literature.
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