Tradition and the Individual Talent by T.S. Eliot

This blog is written as a task assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the link to the professor's research article for background reading:Click here 

Tradition and the Individual Talent by T.S. Eliot

Q.-1.|How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of 'Tradition'? Do you agree with it? What do you understand by 'Historical Sense'?  

Introduction: 

T. S. Eliot’s essay 'Tradition and the Individual Talent' is one of the most influential works of modern literary criticism. In this essay, Eliot challenges the common belief that tradition belongs only to the past. Instead, he presents tradition as a living and dynamic force, where the past and the present continuously interact. Eliot’s ideas encourage writers to engage deeply with literary history while still creating something new and meaningful.

At the heart of his argument lies the idea of the historical sense, which reshapes how we read, write, and understand literature.

Eliot’s Concept of Tradition: Not Inheritance, but Effort:

For Eliot, tradition is not passive acceptance of old customs or blind respect for established writers. It is an active and conscious engagement with the literary past. Tradition, he argues, is not a fixed collection of great works but a living organism that grows and changes with each new contribution.

A poet cannot be truly original without understanding earlier literature. However, Eliot makes it clear that this understanding does not mean imitation. Instead, it involves:

• Absorbing the spirit of the past

• Understanding its strengths and limits

• Responding to it creatively in the present

In this way, tradition becomes a foundation for originality, not a barrier to it.

The ‘Mind of Europe’ and Literary Awareness:

Eliot emphasizes the importance of what he calls the “mind of Europe” the shared literary and cultural heritage of Western civilization. According to him, a poet must be aware of this tradition and consciously place their work within it.

This awareness requires:

• Serious study of literary history

• Critical engagement with earlier texts

• A sense of responsibility toward the tradition

For Eliot, literature is never created in isolation. Every new work enters into a relationship with past works and slightly changes the whole literary order.

The Historical Sense: Feeling the Past in the Present:

The most important idea in Eliot’s essay is the historical sense. This is not simply knowing dates or historical facts. It is a deeper awareness of how the past continues to live in the present.

Eliot explains:

“The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past but of its presence.”

This means that the past is not dead or distant. It actively shapes our thoughts, emotions, and creative expressions today.

He further adds:

“This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal… is what makes a writer traditional.”

A writer with historical sense understands:

• The timeless elements of literature (universal human emotions and themes)

• The temporal elements (historical and cultural context)

Holding these two together allows a writer to see literature as a continuous flow rather than a broken timeline.

Tradition and Individual Talent: A Creative Balance:

Eliot’s theory shows that tradition and individual talent are not enemies. Instead, they support each other. A writer becomes truly individual by understanding tradition deeply and then reshaping it according to contemporary needs.

Originality, for Eliot, does not mean rejecting the past. It means seeing the past with fresh eyes and responding to it creatively. Individual talent shines brightest when it is grounded in historical awareness.

Agreement and Criticism: Is Eliot’s Idea Perfect?

Eliot’s concept of tradition is powerful and insightful. His emphasis on historical awareness reminds us that literature grows through continuity, not isolation. The idea of historical sense helps readers and writers understand literature more deeply.

However, Eliot’s theory has limitations:

• It is largely Eurocentric, focusing mainly on Western literary traditions.

• It can appear elitist, as it values classical education and access to high culture.

• It may seem restrictive to writers from marginalized or non-Western backgrounds.

In today’s global world, Eliot’s idea of tradition needs expansion to include diverse voices and cultural traditions.

Conclusion: 

T. S. Eliot redefines tradition as a living dialogue between past and present. Through the idea of historical sense, he teaches us that great literature emerges when timeless human experiences meet contemporary expression. Although his theory has limitations, Eliot’s central idea remains relevant:

literature is a continuous conversation across time, and every writer adds a new voice to it.

Tradition, therefore, is not a chain that binds creativity it is a bridge that connects generations of writers and readers.  

Video : 1 | T.S.Eliot - Introduction | Contemporaries and Eliot's persona :

Introduction:

The first video helps me to understand why T. S. Eliot is considered one of the most important literary critics of the twentieth century. It places Eliot within the larger critical tradition of his time and explains how his ideas shaped modern literary studies. The video also introduces Eliot’s major contemporaries and explains how his personal beliefs influenced his critical thinking.

T. S. Eliot as a Foundational Critic

The video explains that twentieth-century literary criticism begins mainly with two key figures:

• T. S. Eliot

• I. A. Richards

Both critics moved literary criticism away from emotional, biographical, and impressionistic reading. Instead, they emphasized close reading, structure, and intellectual discipline. I. A. Richards’ book 'Practical Criticism' and Eliot’s critical essays laid the foundation for modern literary analysis.

Eliot is presented as a central voice whose ideas influenced not only poets but also critics and teachers of literature.

Eliot and the New Critics:

The video also introduces the school of New Criticism, which developed under Eliot’s influence. Important New Critics mentioned include:

• Allen Tate – known for ' Tension in Poetry '

• John Crowe Ransom – author of ' The New Criticism '

• Cleanth Brooks – famous for ' The Language of Paradox '

These critics believed that a poem should be studied as a self-contained artistic object, not through the poet’s biography or historical background. This approach clearly reflects Eliot’s belief that criticism should focus on the poem, not the poet.

Eliot's Three-Part of Critical Identity:

One of the most important ideas explained in the video is Eliot’s own description of himself, taken from the preface to ' For Lancelot Andrewes '. Eliot says that he is:

“A classicist in literature, a royalist in politics, and an Anglo-Catholic in religion.”

The video explains that this statement is not casual. It provides a clear framework to understand Eliot’s entire body of work.

The Three Pillars of Eliot’s Thought:

1. Classicist in Literature:

As a literary classicist, Eliot believed in:

• Discipline and order in art

• Respect for literary tradition

• Balance between emotion and intellect

This belief directly connects to T.S.Eliot essay Tradition and the Individual Talent, where he emphasizes historical sense and impersonality.

2. Royalist in Politics

Eliot’s political views were conservative. He preferred:

• Stability over chaos

• Hierarchy over radical change

This political outlook shaped his resistance to modern disorder and his preference for cultural continuity.

3. Anglo-Catholic in Religion

Eliot’s religious identity deeply influenced his later works. His faith:

• Provided moral structure

• Influenced themes of redemption and spiritual struggle

• Led him towards religious poetry and drama

This can be seen clearly in works like 'Ash-Wednesday' and 'Four Quartets'.

My Learning from This Video:

From this video, I learned that T. S. Eliot is an important poet and critic of the twentieth century. I understood that Eliot, along with I. A. Richards, started modern literary criticism and later influenced critics like Allen Tate and Cleanth Brooks. I also learned that Eliot’s ideas come from his personal beliefs. He called himself a classicist in literature, a royalist in politics, and an Anglo-Catholic in religion. Because of this, he believed in order, tradition, and discipline in literature. This video helped me clearly understand Eliot’s position as a critic and made it easier for me to study his essay Tradition and the Individual Talent.

Conclusion:

In simple terms, Video 1 explains that T. S. Eliot is not just a poet but a thinker who shaped modern criticism. His influence extends to New Criticism, close reading, and objective analysis. Understanding his three identities classicist, royalist, and Anglo-Catholic helps to me better understand his essays, poems, and critical ideas. This video acts as a starting map for studying Eliot and the development of twentieth-century literary criticism.

Video : 2 | Unit 4: T.S. Eliot: Tradition & Association with Individual Talent

Introduction:

T. S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent” is one of the most important essays in modern literary criticism. In this essay, Eliot explains what tradition really means and how a writer’s individual talent works with tradition.

Many people think tradition is old, boring, or restrictive. Eliot disagrees. He believes tradition is necessary for good writing. He also explains the idea of historical sense, which helps a writer connect the past with the present.

What Does Eliot Mean by Tradition?

For Eliot, tradition does not mean copying old writers.

• Tradition is not blind imitation

• Tradition is not something we get automatically

• Tradition is something a writer must learn and earn

Eliot says tradition is a living heritage. It includes all great literary works of the past and continues to grow when new writers add something valuable to it.

So, tradition is positive, not negative.

Tradition as European and National:

Eliot’s idea of tradition is mainly European.

According to him:

• Every country has its own literary tradition

• All European traditions together form a greater European tradition

• This tradition begins from ancient Greece

Eliot believes a writer must know:

• His or her national literature

• The larger European literary history

This is why his idea of tradition is called Eurocentric.

What Is Historical Sense?

The most important idea in Eliot’s theory is historical sense.

Historical sense means:

• Knowing that the past is not dead

• Understanding that the past is still present

• Seeing the past and present together

Eliot says a writer should write with “history in his bones.”

This means history should become a natural part of the writer’s thinking.

A writer with historical sense:

• Respects past writers

• Understands how literature has developed

• Knows where his or her work fits in tradition

Eliot’s Criticism of Romantic Poets:

Eliot strongly criticizes Romantic poets like Wordsworth.

Romantic poets believed:

• Poetry is personal emotion

• The poet’s self is very important

• The poet should be a rebel

Eliot rejects these ideas and He believes:

• Poetry should not focus on personal feelings

• The poet should not be self-centered

• Literature should have discipline and order

Sacrifice of Personality (Depersonalization):

One of Eliot’s most important ideas is depersonalization.

This means:

• The poet must control personal emotions

• The poet must sacrifice the self

• The poem should be more important than the poet

Eliot says great poetry is:

• Not the expression of personality

• But an escape from personality

The poet becomes a medium, not a performer.

Tradition as a Monument:

Eliot explains tradition using the idea of a monument:

• Tradition is like a big monument

• It already exists before the poet writes

• A poet cannot destroy or ignore it

The poet can only:

• Add something small but meaningful

• Keep the harmony of the whole structure

This shows that originality comes from careful contribution, not rebellion.

Influence of Matthew Arnold and Harold Bloom:

Eliot’s ideas are connected to other critics:

Matthew Arnold

• Believed writers should be judged by the best works of the past

• Influenced Eliot’s idea of historical sense

Harold Bloom

• Later said writers feel anxiety because of strong past writers

• Eliot disagrees and says influence should be accepted, not feared

Responsibility of the Poet:

Eliot places a big responsibility on poets.

A poet should know:

• Literature

• History

• Religion

• Philosophy

• Different cultures (even Eastern texts like Upanishads)

Tradition is not easy. It needs hard study and discipline.

My Learning Outcome:

By studying T. S. Eliot’s “Tradition and the Individual Talent”, I have learned that tradition is not old or useless, but an important part of good writing. A writer must understand the literature of the past and develop a historical sense to know how the past and present are connected. I also learned that poetry should not be only personal emotion; instead, the poet should control personal feelings and focus on the poem itself. Eliot teaches that real originality comes from respecting tradition, learning deeply, and adding something meaningful to it, rather than rejecting it.

Conclusion:

In simple words, Eliot teaches us that:

• Tradition is important and helpful

• A writer must respect the past

• Individual talent works with tradition, not against it

• True originality comes from knowledge, not rebellion

Eliot believes great literature is created when the past and present work together.  

Video 3 T.S.Eliot - Some can absorb knowledge:

Introduction:

Video 3 explains an important and interesting point in T. S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent.” In this part, Eliot talks about William Shakespeare and uses him as a special example to clarify his theory of tradition and learning. The video answers an important question:

If Eliot believes poets must be deeply educated and historically aware, how does Shakespeare fit into this idea when he had no formal university education?

Eliot’s Famous Quotation on Shakespeare:

The video focuses on Eliot’s well-known statement:

“Some can absorb knowledge, the more tardy must sweat for it. Shakespeare acquired more essential history from Plutarch than most men could from the whole British Museum.”

Through this quote, Eliot makes a clear distinction between two types of learners:

• Some people must work very hard (“sweat”) to gain knowledge

• A rare few can absorb knowledge naturally and deeply

Shakespeare belongs to this second group.

The Problem: Shakespeare as an Exception:

Eliot usually argues that:

• A poet must study tradition seriously

• A poet must write with “history in his bones”

• Wide and deep reading is essential

But Shakespeare seems to challenge this idea because:

• He did not attend a university

• He knew only English, not classical languages like Latin or Greek

• He was not a “university wit” like Marlowe

Yet, his plays show:

• Deep historical understanding

• Complex characters

• Vast themes and ideas

This creates a contradiction in Eliot’s theory.

Eliot’s Solution: The Theory of Absorption:

To solve this problem, Eliot introduces the idea of absorption, inspired by Matthew Arnold.

Instead of formal education, Shakespeare learned by:

• Reading widely, especially English translations and histories

• Reading writers like Plutarch

• Observing society and human behavior closely

• Living fully in his time and culture

Shakespeare did not study systematically, but he absorbed his age.

Absorption vs. Traditional Learning:

The video clearly explains the difference:

Traditional Learning	Shakespeare’s Learning
University education	No formal education
Structured study	Natural absorption
Academic training	Cultural experience
Slow accumulation	Deep intuition

Shakespeare gained more understanding from his surroundings and reading than many scholars gained from libraries.

Why This Matters for Eliot’s Theory:

This explanation is very important for Eliot because:

• He does not want to support Romanticism

• Romantic poets believed in pure natural genius

• Eliot strongly opposes this idea

By explaining Shakespeare as a great absorber of culture, Eliot proves that:

• Shakespeare was not an isolated genius
• His talent was connected to history and tradition
• He learned differently, not magically

This keeps Eliot’s theory intact and consistent.

Influence of Matthew Arnold:

The video also highlights that Eliot follows Matthew Arnold’s ideas:

• Arnold believed great writers grow in a rich intellectual environment

• Writers use ideas already present in society as raw material

Shakespeare’s greatness comes from his ability to:

• Use ideas around him

• Shape them creatively

• Transform common knowledge into timeless art

My Learning Outcomes :

From this video, I understand that T. S. Eliot values deep knowledge of tradition, but he also accepts that great writers may gain this knowledge in different ways. Through the example of Shakespeare, I learn that formal education is not the only path to literary greatness. Shakespeare did not attend a university, yet he absorbed the spirit, history, and ideas of his age through wide reading and lived experience. This helps me realize that true individual talent lies in the ability to absorb and internalize one’s cultural and historical environment, not in rejecting knowledge or tradition, but in engaging with it intuitively and creatively.

Conclusion:

Video 3 beautifully explains how Eliot defends his theory while praising Shakespeare. Shakespeare is not an exception to tradition but a different kind of traditional learner. His genius lies in his rare ability to absorb history, culture, and ideas naturally.

Through this explanation, Eliot proves that:

• True creativity always grows from knowledge

• Tradition can be learned in different ways

• Even the greatest genius is shaped by history

This video helps students clearly understand how Eliot balances tradition and individual talent without supporting Romantic ideas of genius.

Video 4 : T. S. Eliot: Analogy of Chemical Reaction & Theory of Impersonalization

Introduction:

T.S. Eliot’s theory of depersonalization is one of the most important ideas in modern literary criticism. He explains this theory in his famous essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent” (1919). Through this theory, Eliot completely changes the way poetry is understood. Unlike Romantic poets such as Wordsworth, who believed poetry comes from personal emotions and feelings, Eliot argues that true poetry should be impersonal.

According to Eliot, poetry is not about expressing the poet’s personal emotions or life experiences. Instead, poetry is created when emotions are transformed into art in a controlled and objective way. He clearly states: 

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

 

This statement becomes the foundation of his theory of depersonalization.

Rejection of Romantic Personal Emotion:

Eliot strongly criticizes the Romantic idea that poetry is an emotional outpouring of the poet’s inner self. Romantic poets believed that strong personal feelings are the source of poetry. Eliot completely disagrees with this view.

He believes that personal emotions should not directly enter poetry. For him, the poet must surrender personal feelings and individuality to the work of art. Eliot explains that poetry should be created through discipline, intellect, and control, not emotional overflow.

He writes:

“The emotion of art is impersonal. And the poet cannot reach this impersonality without surrendering himself wholly to the work to be done.”

 

This means that the poet must separate personal life from poetic creation. The critic supports Eliot’s view by stating that the poet’s experiences in real life may have no direct connection with the emotions expressed in the poem.

Progress of the Artist: Self-Sacrifice:

Eliot describes the growth of a poet as a process of continuous self-sacrifice. According to him, a poet becomes better not by expressing more of the self, but by eliminating the self from poetry.

He says:

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

 

This means that as poets mature, their personal emotions become less visible in their poetry. Instead, their poems become more universal, meaningful, and objective. The poet becomes a medium rather than the subject of the poem.

The Catalyst (Chemical) Analogy:

One of the most important and famous parts of Eliot’s theory is the chemical reaction analogy. Eliot compares the poet’s mind to a catalyst used in a scientific laboratory.

He explains that when two gases are mixed in the presence of a platinum catalyst, a chemical reaction occurs. The gases combine to form a new substance, but the platinum remains unchanged.

Eliot writes:

“The platinum itself is apparently unaffected; has remained inert, neutral, and unchanged.”

 

In this analogy:

• Platinum = the poet’s mind

• Gases (emotions and feelings) = raw experiences

• Final compound = the poem

Just like platinum does not become part of the final product, the poet’s personality does not become part of the poem. The poet only helps emotions combine into art.

This shows that poetry is created through transformation, not expression.

Emotions in Poetry Are Impersonal:

Eliot makes it clear that the emotions used in poetry are not special or personal. They are ordinary emotions transformed into complex artistic expressions.

He states:

“It is not in his personal emotions… that the poet is in any way remarkable or interesting.”

 

The poet does not invent new emotions but reshapes common emotions into something meaningful and universal. The emotions in poetry are artistic, not personal.

He further adds:

“The business of the poet is not to find new emotions, but to use the ordinary ones.”

 

Thus, poetry becomes something that all readers can relate to, not a record of the poet’s private life.

Separation of the Man Who Suffers and the Mind That Creates

A key idea in Eliot’s theory is the division between the poet as a human being and the poet as an artist. Eliot clearly explains:

“The more perfect the artist, the more completely separate in him will be the man who suffers and the mind which creates.”

 

This means that personal pain, joy, or experience should not directly shape poetry. The creative mind must remain calm, detached, and objective.

Impact on Literary Criticism:

Eliot’s theory of depersonalization also changes how literature should be studied and criticized. He argues that critics should focus on the poem itself, not the poet’s biography.

He states:

“Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation are directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry.”

 

This idea later influenced New Criticism, which focuses on close reading of the text rather than the author’s life, emotions, or intentions.

Universality of Poetry:

By removing personal emotion, poetry becomes universal. Eliot believes that poets can use emotions they have never personally experienced. What matters is artistic transformation, not personal truth.

He writes:

“And emotions which he has never experienced will serve his turn as well as those familiar to him.”

 

This universality allows poetry to cross time, culture, and personal boundaries.

Conclusion:

T.S. Eliot’s theory of depersonalization presents poetry as an objective, disciplined, and intellectual process. By comparing the poet’s mind to a chemical catalyst, Eliot explains that poetry is created through transformation, not emotional expression.

He rejects Romantic subjectivity and emphasizes impersonality, distance, and control. This theory reshapes both poetic creation and literary criticism, shifting attention from the poet to the poem.

Eliot’s famous line perfectly summarizes his theory:

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

Through this escape, poetry achieves universality and artistic greatness.

Video : 5 | T.S. Eliot: Tradition and Individual Talent: Summing up

Learning from Eliot: Tradition, Talent, and Poetry : 

After watching this lecture on T.S. Eliot’s “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” I understand why this essay is considered one of the most important works of modern literary criticism. Even though the essay is short, it completely changes the way poetry is written, read, and criticized in the 20th century.

First Video :

In this First video, I understand that Eliot redefines the idea of tradition. Tradition does not mean copying old writers or blindly following the past. Instead, Eliot says tradition is something alive and active. The past still lives in the present. A poet must develop a historical sense, which means feeling the presence of past writers while writing in the present. Tradition is not inherited automatically; it must be earned through hard study and deep reading. A poet needs knowledge of the whole literary tradition, especially the European tradition, from ancient writers like Homer to modern authors.

Second Video :

In this Second video, I understand Eliot’s strong criticism of Romanticism. Romantic poets believed that poetry comes from personal emotions and the poet’s inner self. Eliot rejects this idea completely. He believes poetry should not express the poet’s personality. Instead, poetry should be impersonal. According to Eliot, great poetry is created when the poet escapes from personal emotion and personal life. The poet’s personality must disappear from the poem.

Third Video :

Third, the chemical catalyst example helps me clearly understand Eliot’s idea of impersonality. Just like platinum helps chemicals combine without becoming part of the final product, the poet’s mind helps emotions turn into poetry without adding personal feelings. This means the poet’s job is to transform emotions into art, not to express private experiences.

Fourth Video :

In this Fourth video, I understand that Eliot creates a major change in literary criticism. He shifts attention away from the poet’s biography and personal life. Eliot believes that criticism should focus only on the poem itself. This idea leads to what is later called New Criticism, which emphasizes close reading of the text. The poem becomes more important than the poet.

Fifth Video :

Finally, I understand that this essay announces the symbolic “death of the author.” This does not mean the writer is physically dead, but that the author’s personal life, emotions, and intentions should not control how a poem is interpreted. Meaning exists inside the text itself.

Overall, this video helps me understand that Eliot’s essay teaches us to:

• See tradition as living and active

• Reject emotional self-expression in poetry

• Understand poetry as impersonal art

• Focus on the text rather than the poet

This is why “Tradition and the Individual Talent” is a turning point in modern literary criticism.

References :

Barad, Dilip. “T. S. Eliot: Tradition and the Individual Talent.” ResearchGate, Jan. 2024, https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32695.91047.

Eliot, T. S. Essay on Poetic Theory: Tradition and the Individual Talent. Poetry Foundation, 2009.

Britannica Editors. "I.A. Richards". Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/I-A-Richards. Accessed 22 December 2025.