10. T.S. Eliot

Modern Poetry (ENGL 310) with Langdon Hammer

The early poetry of T.S. Eliot is examined. Differences between Pound and Eliot, in particular the former's interest in translation versus the latter's in quotation, are suggested. Eliot's relationship to tradition is considered in his essay, "Tradition and the Individual Talent." The early poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is read, with emphasis on the poem's resistance to traditional forms and its complicated depiction of its speaker's fragmentary consciousness.

00:00 - Chapter 1. The Use of Quotations in Poetry
10:32 - Chapter 2. An Introduction to T. S. Eliot
25:00 - Chapter 3. T. S. Eliot Poem: "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://oyc.yale.edu

This course was recorded in Spring 2007.