Question

How does Eliot define the poet’s relationship to tradition?

• A. The poet should only adhere to the contemporary style.
• B. The poet should blend their unique voice with the broader tradition.
• C. The poet should focus solely on imitating classical works.
• D. The poet should reject tradition entirely.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The poet should blend their unique voice with the broader tradition.

T. S. Eliot believed that a poet's relationship to tradition is one of continuity, where the poet is aware of the past and its influence on their work. Eliot believed that a poet must be familiar with the past and present, and that the most individual parts of a poet's work are those that are most in line with tradition. 

• Continuity

  Eliot believed that tradition is a way of connecting the present to the past, and that a poet's work is shaped by the traditions that came before them. 

• Awareness

  Eliot believed that a poet should be aware of the past and how it relates to their own work. 

• Impersonality

  Eliot believed that the emotions of art are impersonal, and that a poet must detach themselves from their personal feelings to create a genuine poem. 

• Novelty

  Eliot believed that novelty is possible through tapping into tradition, and that a poet's work should be a dynamic and progressive process. 

Eliot's ideas about tradition are expressed in his essay Tradition and the Individual Talent.