Summary of the essay, "Tradition and the Individual Talent".

T. S. Eliot, one of the most bright stars in the sky of Criticism in his critical essay, "Tradition and the Individual Talent" expresses his idea about the concept of 'tradition' and the individual or unique talent of someone and also expresses the relationship between the 'tradition' and the 'individual talent' and their interdependence on each other. Eliot begins his essay by asserting that most of the people use the word 'tradition' in a derogatory sense. By using this term, they refer to old, conventional and not improving method or style.


             But Eliot is quite critical in using the term in such deplorable manner. He says that 'tradition' is a broader, larger concept or an umbrella term which involves historical sense, and this historical sense involves a perception of the continued presence of the past, i. e. the sense that the works of the past would always influence the present and live on forever. Tradition implies the knowledge from the ancient time to the recent.


             Eliot also suggests that individual talent cannot be expressed wholly without its relation with the past. A poet cannot have his complete meaning or significance alone. His importance can only be understood through his relation to the past-poets. This is also true in the case of different artists in the different fields of literature. But he clarifies that though the poet must have the relationship with the past, but he must not take it in a lump or in an indiscriminate manner. He has to use his own talent and make a new kind of writing which is unique, but relevant to time.


              In this essay Eliot also suggests one of his most important innovations i. e. "theory of impersonality" in poetry. According to him, poetry must not be the platform for the poet to express his own personal feelings and emotions, he must be detached from his writing. He has to expose the universal theme, not personal or the subjective.


             He here also says that criticism must be on poetry, but not on the poet. Attention must be given to the poetry or the particular work of art. Poet or artist is not as important as their writing.


            Going to emphasize the "theory of impersonality" of poetry, Eliot here openly criticises Wordsworth. He completely rejects Wordsworth's conception of Poetry i. e. "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, emotions recollected on tranquillity." Eliot's new definition of poetry is that "Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality."