T. S. Eliot's Romantic Dilemma
Tradition's Anti-Traditional Elements
Routledge Library Editions: T. S. Eliot Series

The fact that Eliot disapproved of Romanticism is clear from his critical essays, where he often appears to reject it absolutely. However, Eliot?s understanding of the term and his appreciation of literature developed and altered greatly from his adolescence to his years of scholarly study, yet he was never unable to dismiss Romanticism entirely as a critical issue. This study, first published in 1985, analyses Eliot?s approach and criticism to Romanticism, with an analysis of The Waste Land, adding to the layers of its meaning, context and content to the poem. This title will be of interest to students of literature.

Introduction; 1. Naming the Issue 2. Tradition, Order, and Romantic Theory 3. The Poet-Critic’s Traditional Tie 4. Practical Criticism of Romantic Writers 5. "Tradition and the Individual Talent" and "The Waste Land": Critical and Poetic Correspondence 6. Coleridge in "The Waste Land"; Chapter Notes; Select Bibliography

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