Literary Criticism “Tension in poetry” ()

Literary Criticism “Tension in poetry” ()

Allen Tate (1899-1979)

Introduction :-The rise of New Criticism:-

            The new criticism which was a school of criticism flourished during the first half of the twentieth century in America and England. It put the theory of inspiration off the gear. It assumes a close and causative relationship between society and literature and between society and the writer. It is the stress on textual criticism which has made it new. Otherwise there is nothing new in it. It had its origin in the writings of T. E. Hulme; but it is now mainly an American movement. The term was first used by J. E. Spingam. Its chief exponents in America are Kenneth Burke, John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, Richard Blackmur, Cleanth Brooks, etc. In England its leading representatives are I. A. Richards, T. S. Eliot, F. R. Leavis, William Empson, etc.

            It was the reaction against the external school of criticism which focuses on sociological, historical and biographical aspects of a text. It is an internal school of criticism. Different New critics of poetry answered differently in response to the question… “What is poetic in poetry?” To the new critics poetic poetry is “its ability to attract attention towards itself.”

About this ability,  R. S. Crane aptly remarks,

“From I. A. Richard’s concept of ‘behavior of words’.. or Allen Tate’s theory of tension’, w fin the same search for the meaning of words. “

v Allen Tate as a critic:-

            John Oley Allen Tate is an American poet, essayist and social commentator. Hr wa the Poet Laureate Consultant in poetry in 1943-44. Tate is certainly more comprehensive than J. C. Ransom. However both belongs to the group of American critic. John Paul says.. “Allen Tate’s  prominence among the New Critics sets him in a position next Ransom.”

v Two Types of Meaning :-

            Allen Tate states that very age has used different approaches to examine different works. According to him every age uses language differently. This she shows with example from different poem. He say that in most of the poems., we find two kinds of language.

1. Denotative (surface meaning) and (2) Connotative (hidden)

            The first one refers to ‘logical or superficial meaning of the poem’. The second one means ‘implied or metaphorical meaning of the poem.’ Many criticism emphasized on denotative aspect of the poem, while some concentrated only on connotative meaning of the poem. According to Tate. “Only that poetry is good poetry which communicate both the aspect, connotative and denotative.

v “Tension in Poetry’ An Essay of Great Worth”

            In this essay, Tate is concerned with the question. “How can the quality of a poem be determined” He believes that it can be determined by the effect resulting form its meaning. To examine the way in which the poem attains its total meaning, he takes two words from logic. These words are ‘intension’ and ‘extension’. He removes the prefix and says that the poetry attains its totality in ‘Tension’. A poem therefore has both a literal meaning and also metaphorical meaning. Extension is denotative. Therefore it is the literal meaning. On the other hand, intension’ is connotative. Therefore it is the metaphorical meaning a poem. A good poem is one where both of these exit tighter Tate say, “Good poetry is unity of all the meaning form the extremes of intention and extension.

            Thus combination of intension and extension result in tension. Thus the presence of tension is the touchstone of good poetry for Tate. He explains the tern ‘tension’ as follow that Tension is the core of the poetry. It can be called the entrance through which multiple meanings can be attained. He by the term ‘tension’ never intend the ‘psychological tension’ he classifies that I am using the term not as general metaphor but as special one derived form lopping. He prefix of the logic term extension and intension.

v Some Examples given by him.

            In order to explain the importance of the presentence of both the denotative and connotative aspects in a poem, he gives the examples of some poems. These poems are either deficient in the denotative aspect or a failure in the connotation. Therefor, they do not qualify to be ransked as good poems. Afterwards, he presents the example of his poetic touchstone in which we find the presence of ‘tension’.

v Illustration of Fault Denotation:

            Tate give the example of a 19^thcentury lyric ‘The Vine” by Jame Thomson (1834=1822)..

“The wine of Love is music,

And the feast of Love is song;

And when Love sits down to the banquet,

Love sits long…

The great rich Vine.”

These line have no logical meaning. This poem is therefore, a failure in docontation.

v Illustration of Fault connotation:-

            Then he gives an example of Abraham Cowley’s *\(1618-1667) “Hymn – To Light’. This poem is a success as far as denotative aspect is concerned but it is  a failure in connotation.

First born of Chaos, who so far didst come

From the old Negro’s darksome womb!

At last must flow.”

            These line lack in connotative intensity. Therefore a good poem is the one in which both the denotative and connotative aspects are present. M.H. Abram says that it seems as if “Tate means that ha good poem incorporates both the abstract and the concrete, the general idea and the particular image in an integral whole.”

v Illustration of Touchstone’

            Tate gives an example of his poetic ‘touchstone’ in which we find present such tension. In the third part of his essay, Tate gives a target from ‘Durante Alighieri (1265-1321) ‘Inferno’ as an instance of tension. Paolo and Francesca were lovers. They can not meet each other due to circumstance. The poet asks Francesca,

“From which place do you come.”

She answer in three lines,

“Sitteth the city, wherein I was born

Upon the sea-shore where the Po descends

To rest in peace with all his retinue”

Here the literal meaning of these lines is that she was born in a town that is on the bank of the Sea-shore, where the river ‘Po’ falls along with the other rivers. But the metaphorical meaning is more than just this description of the place. When Francesca fuses herself with the rive Po, there is mingling of extension and intension. The streams could be the desires of vove for Paolo. When ever she goes her desire follow her. Here we have hidden means laso . that is reiver attains peace that originates out of communion, but she is anot able to meet her lover. Thus both the intesion and extension become one and creat ‘tension.

v Conclusion:-

In this way, Tate has made a significant contribution to the world of literary criticism. He has found out the new way of achieving full peand perfect meaing from a poem. Estiamateing Allen Tate’s criticism essay, Eva Thospmas staes, “Allen Tate is the critic, who arealyl had gove to reality and siginfance of their highest type of the poetry ithat is created by the symbolic imagination.”