'criticism is as inevitable as

breathing'
- idea that perception of historical
literature creates an awareness in
the author, an awareness of his
own generation's place in a
preordained hierarchy of writers
such as Homer &c, simultaneously
existing and creating a
'simultaneous order'. appreciation
of a novelist is his appreciation IN
RELATION to other historical writers
- when a new piece of art is
created, existing pieces create an
order that is modified by this
inclusion of new art; existing order
must be altered every time new art
is added - present affects past just
as past affects present
- author is judged (but not
'amputated') by two things being
measured against each other; to
solely conform, the art would not

be considered art, but fitting in is a

test of new art's value; individuality
and conformity are both present in
pieces of art, one rarely exists
without the other
- poet can not a) see the past as
one giant entity or b) model
himself after a few poets he
admires or c) model himself on a
period of choice. instead, he must
be aware of the 'main current,
which does not at all flow invariably
through the most distinguished
reputations.' must be aware that
art does not improve, but its
content changes through time. the
mind of his country changes
frequently, but it does not override
what has come before and is by no
means necessarily an
improvement.
- 'the conscious present is an
awareness of the past in a way and

to an extent which the past's

awareness of itself cannot show.'
- learning and knowledge cannot
be confined to what is necessary
for exams; must be an ongoing
exploration of the past that creates
a consciousness that the poet
defines throughout his career
- 'What happens is a continual
surrender of himself as he is at the
moment to something which is
more valuable. The progress of an
artist is a continual self-sacrifice, a
continual extinction of personality.'
- Eliot defines this as
'depersonalisation'
- art as possessing scientific
qualities?
- mind of a mature poet is no
different to an 'immature' one, is
no more interesting or insightful
but has simply had more time to
perfect his medium

- using the
platinum/oxygen+sulphur dioxide
analogy, mind of the poet is the
shred of platinum that remains
unchanged by the creation of
sulphuric acid; 'the more perfect
the artist, the more completely
separate in him will be the man
who suffers and the mind which
creates'
- the two elements in this analogy
become emotions and feelings;
poet's mind a 'receptacle for
seizing and storing up numberless
feelings, phrases and images which
remain there until all the particles
can unite to form a new compound
are present together.'
- great variety of combinations, and
because of this variety any idea of
'sublimity' is inherently flawed.
intensity of the artistic process and
not the emotions conveyed that

makes any difference in Eliot's

view, difference between intensity
of feeling and intensity of words
that convey it
- 'difference between art and the
event is always absolute'
- 'the poet has, not a 'personality'
to express, but a particular
medium, which is only a medium
and not a personality, in which
impressions and experiences
combine in peculiar and
unexpected ways.'
- complexity of poetry different to
the way people have a complexity
of emotions in real life
- should not look for NEW emotions
to express as this becomes futile:
poet must use ordinary, exhausted
ones and create poetry from them,
expressing feelings which 'are not
in actual emotions at all.'
- '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.'
- although people exist who
appreciate expression of emotion
and technicality, few know when
there is an expression of significant
emotion, which has 'its life in the
poem and not in the history of the
poet.' poet has to surrender himself
wholly his work in order for this to
be created.
- to do this, poet has to live not
only in the present, but a present
that is aware of both the dead and
the living