Essay: Influence in Literature

Influence is a vast aspect of literature; both classic and contemporary writers are constantly influenced by the great canons in order to explore the boundaries of their work. Many argue that the influence past writers have over others with their work, is a crucial step in creating successful and engaging pieces of writings. Others, however, argue that it is not the influence which is important but the individuality of one’s own work. Furthermore, Harold Bloom explores influence as being ‘labyrinthine not linear’ , by introducing it as a complex and intricate concept, one may link it to T.S Eliot’s idea of tradition and John Keats ideas on truth, beauty and the imagination. Whilst both T.S Eliot and Keats explore aspects of influence over their art, the two have extremely dissimilar perceptions of it.
Tradition has gained extremely negative connotations over time, believed to entail strict boundaries and parallel conservative ideas, many immediately shy away from it. T.S Eliot found this very early on in his exploration of the idea, in his essay ‘Tradition and the Individual Talent’ he writes, ‘we pretend to find what is individual, what is the peculiar essence of the man’ . The specific use of the verb ‘pretend’ introduces a falsity into critical reading whilst additionally suggesting that many have to ‘pretend’ because there isn’t individuality in writing, just the techniques and ideas that past canons have created and honed. Alternatively, the act of pretending could be exploring the fact that these traditional aspects of literature are subtly integrated into literature, so much so that the reader does not realise what they are reading is traditional. The allusion of individuality hiding tradition is supported by his statement, ‘no poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists’ . Evidently there is this idea that art and poetry have no exclusive owner, it is shared through many minds over may years and only becomes of value when linked to the past. This sense of falsity is further developed, ‘we endeavour to find something that can be isolated in order to be enjoyed’ . By using the inclusive ‘we’ and making individuality synonymous with isolation, Eliot is reflecting how narrow the concept of individuality versus tradition has become throughout literature.
Keats, on the other hand, is strongly in favour of individuality, ‘the excellence of every Art is its intensity, capable of making all disagreeables evaporate, from their being in close relationship with Beauty & Truth’ . There is a clear hierarchy here, passion, or in other words intensity, followed by beauty and truth. This trio of characteristics do not include the importance of the traditional, and often stereotypical, parts of literature that continue to strive, showing that Keats has extremely contrasting ideas to what is influential in literature. Keats is offering a different perception, he is suggesting that truth need not have historical and factual ground, instead truth correlates with the perception of beauty and individuality. If the poetry is beautiful and holds a part of the author then it is true, whether historically correct right or not. Additionally, this perception of truth leads to the factor of the imagination and ‘truth of imagination’ , how it is perhaps more precious than any other factor as it leads to unique discoveries which is attractive to readers as it is enticingly different. Developing from these ideas of tradition and individuality is what the authors are perceiving as truth, on one hand, Eliot is following the idea of tradition, this collective truth of what makes literature stand out and what has worked. On the other hand, Keats is shadowing the individuality of truth, how repetition does not need to occur over time because there are so many different techniques to try. Clearly truth is being re-evaluated as a literary concept.