T. S. Eliot: Tradition And The Individual Talent

The word tradition is well known for meaning the passing down of customs or beliefs from generation to generation. T.S. Eliot, however, brings this meaning into better focus. In the epigraph above from “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” Eliot states that no new work is truly new. In Eliot’s own words, “what happens when a new work of art is created is something that happens simultaneously to all the works of art which preceded it” (2327). This statement simply means that no artist or poet can be praised by what is being stated in their work. The significance found in anything new is based off of the ideas and principles of those who came before. Tradition is something that needs to be valued because of the wisdom and knowledge that has

This essay is divided into three parts with each part bringing new perspective to its meaning. The first part of this essay primarily concentrates on the true connotation of tradition. The second part, however, focuses on his impersonal theory of poetry and the relation of the poem to its author. In this section, Eliot discusses the analogy of a catalyst. When two gases come together in the presence of platinum, they form sulphuric acid. “This combination takes place only if the platinum is present; nevertheless the newly formed acid contains no trace of platinum, and the platinum itself is apparently unaffected; has remained inert, neutral, and unchanged” (2328). In this portion of the passage, Eliot deliberates on how this transforming catalyst will affect a person. Even though the person who goes through this transformation may feel new emotions or feelings, these feelings and emotions are not solely their own. They have been there the whole time but the feelings went unnoticed until something, such as a previously written poem or artwork, caused a reaction in the artist’s mind to bring out this new emotional state. The new emotional state is what motivates someone to create something new, but according to Eliot’s outlook on tradition it’s not an idea that is really

By definition it means the passing down of customs from one generation to the next. This word is brought into better connotation in T.S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent.” Eliot, in this work, provides his insight on how no work is truly new, and how the past is to not be overlooked. The previous ideas of those who came before, should be highly valued because, as Eliot explains, those ideas are the basis for what is to come. While new artists are creating works that are seemingly brand new and never thought of before, these ideas came to them through inspiration from previous poets or artists. In the first part of this essay, the focus is more centered towards the true connotation of tradition. The second part however gives a solid explanation of how he came to these conclusions. Eliot uses the analogy of a catalyst to describe just how a new idea can be inspired by something as simple as a chemical reaction. The importance of traditionalism is prevalent in this portion of the essay because it gives a visual idea of how the old ideas inspire the new. When two gasses come into the presence of platinum, they form sulphuric acid. This is similar to what happens to an artist or poet when they come into contact with a piece that truly inspires them. This inspiration reveals emotions in the artists that were seemingly unknown, but really just had not been discovered