T.S Eliot in his essay "Tradition and Individual Talent", explains how tradition is not static, but is dynamic. Every new work, engages with the vast tradition of literary works written before and hence, alters it. Eliot puts emphasis on historical consciousness of poets, which means that a buddingRead more
T.S Eliot in his essay “Tradition and Individual Talent”, explains how tradition is not static, but is dynamic. Every new work, engages with the vast tradition of literary works written before and hence, alters it. Eliot puts emphasis on historical consciousness of poets, which means that a budding poet must interact and be aware of the rich literary tradition of his past, so write something new and interesting. According to him, individual talent cannot exist on its own. It necessarily draws from tradition and hence changes it by entering the literary canon. In this essay, he also gave the concept of impersonal theory of poetry, which essentially means that a poet’s personal emotions and passions should be distanced while writing a work of art. There must be a continuous surrender of the “personal self” to write better poetry.
He employed the same theory in his practice of poetry as well. If one examines his classic poem “The Wasteland”, they are bound to find fragments of various literary works and tradition. For instance, it has references from Shakespeare, ancient Greek literary texts as well as Indian scriptures like Upanishads. It has the words, “Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.,” which are directly taken from the Upanishads.
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Petals of Blood are pivotal works in African literature, exploring the complexities of cultural identity amidst colonial and post-colonial challenges. Things Fall Apart delves into pre-colonial Igbo society and the impacts of European colonizRead more
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Petals of Blood are pivotal works in African literature, exploring the complexities of cultural identity amidst colonial and post-colonial challenges.
Things Fall Apart delves into pre-colonial Igbo society and the impacts of European colonization. The protagonist, Okonkwo, embodies the struggle between tradition and change. As European influences disrupt Igbo culture, Okonkwo’s resistance highlights the broader impact of colonialism on African societies.
Petals of Blood portrays cultural identity as evolving, shaped by colonialism and post-colonial disillusionment. Through characters like Munira, Karega, Wanja, and Abdulla, Ngugi explores the clash between traditional African values and modernization. The transformation of Ilmorog from a rural village to a commercial town symbolizes the erosion of indigenous cultures. Ngugi underscores the importance of cultural heritage and collective identity as sources of resistance against neocolonial forces, advocating for a return to communal values and indigenous knowledge.
Both novels illustrate the enduring significance of cultural identity in the face of external pressures, emphasizing the resilience and complexity of African societies.
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