The Function of Criticism by T.S. Eliot

                        The Function of Criticism

                                                    

                                                               By – T.S.Eliot

Introduction of Essayist:-

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born on 26 September 1888, in Missouri, US. He was a poet, dramatist, literary and social critic, essayist and editor also. He educated at AB in philosophy. He got awards like Nobel Prize in Literature (1948). His Notable works are ‘The Love Song of J.Afred Prufrock’ (1915), ‘The Waste Land’ ( 1922 ), ‘Four Quartets’ ( 1944 ). In all these works  ‘ The Love song of J. Afred Prufrock’ is seen as a masterpiece of the modernist movement.

“Tradition and Individual Talent” (1921), “Hamlet and his problems “are his famous essays. He died on 4 January 1965 in London, England.

Introduction of Essay:-

This essay is response to essay of Murray. Murray have problem to that don’t use tradition , but Eliot believed that don’t follow tradition but learn tradition, he believed that the use of the tradition in creative way, because tradition is past, without past present we don’t know. Reproduction is important. Follow is bad but productive in new way, you represent creative out put. Create new by using old, don’t any tress of old.

“Tradition and Individual talent” Eliot’s dynamic conception of tradition.

This essay is an outcome of the controversy that was created in the year 1919 it is actually the response to Murray’s essay on Eliot essay of “ Romanticism and tradition”. In this particular essay he showcases the relationship between past and present in world literature.

Definition of criticism :- 

According to Eliot criticism is the analysis of the works of literary nature, criticism always has to be about something and it’s goal his to give proper explanation about all literary texts.

First Part :-

Superior to nature as both of them are depended yet independent any writer and his or her importance is considered by looking into the tradition. Maturity + Understanding = Critic

Sometime critics deform from each other because of there personal biases, Eliot believes that all the critics should cooperate in order to critics of particular text make a responsive criticism is important in literature.

Murray’s views on the classic and Romantic

Second part :-

In the second part of this essay Eliot talks about Murray’s views on classicism and Romanticism according to Murray a classical writer can not be a romantic writer a romantic writer can not be a classical writer. Eliot does not subscribe to this view and does not believe that English people are romantic and French people are classic.

In the latter part of the essay Eliot discuses the problem in criticism and goes again the view of Mathew Arnold. There is a lot of different between creative writers and critical writing. Mathew Arnold differences between critical and creative writing. According to Eliot criticism is also of equal important and any critic has to be creative in order to criticizes a text.

Some of the critic are capable of cretizining there own work because more correct and structured he continuously agreed that critical and creative writing can not be separated.

According to Eliot the most important qualification of any critic is that he or she should be able to recognize the important of facts, which is a rare qualities the critic should get into the details of the fact. Any critic or artist should surrender and sacrifices himself or herself in order to get the meaning of the text. “Total involvement in art and for art”.

      

He or she would make sure that there are united to gather a common agenda. This is the quality of the first rate artist where as the second rate artist does not believe in this and works in a completely opposite direction. Art always has a predestined conclusion by the elucidation of the works of art and the correction of test. It may happen that there are different in opinion  but all the different should be respected or should be worked upon in close connection.  

Third Part : -  “ Inner voice treatment of it”.

 In the third part Eliot completely goes against the views of Murray as it is all common principal in order to achieve perfection in art. The artist who believes in the inner voice is not tradition and the wisdom and the experience but also of the present which can be extremely advantageous. Girt felling is always right and wisdom is important in writing and criticism because wisdom make critic.

Fourth Part : - Criticism and the creative faculty

 As we have written earlier there is no different between a creative writers and a critical writer. Both of them are almost the same as the later of the labor of an other is composting the critical labor and any writer who can criticizes his own work is the highest kind of criticism. When you criticizes your work you have to see fault line in your own work and no one can judge you without you. Can there be a creative criticism?

Qualification of a Critic :-

(1)           In order to be a good critic one has to developed and extraordinary sense of facts about the work of art, the condition, the setting and mannerism.

(2)           Any critic has to be good in comparison  and analysis about the theme, plot and technical aspects like the structure and the contain of all of them. They should be taken to gather in order to interpret it.

(3)           Facts are not always beneficial because they can be misleading  facts should be in close connection to what you are writing upon.

(4)           A good critic has to be extremely objective in nature and should have a scientific attitude by fallowing all the above mentioned points.

 Conclusion :- 

  Eliot strongly believes in the concept of individuality and originality but in a different manner that is by respecting by tradition and taking it’s cooperation to design the present.