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Features
Vol.3 5,No.8/April201 7

April2017 Apr2017LO G I N

PatrickHeron,T.S.Eliot,1949,Oiloncanvas,NationalPortraitGallery,London.

FeaturesApril2017
PatrickHeron,T.S.Eliot,1949,Oiloncanvas,NationalPortraitGallery,London.

Thefunctionofcriticism
byDenisDonoghue

OnT.S.Eliotsessayontheevaluationofliterature.

SH AR E

SH AR E

T .S.EliotsessayTheFunctionofCriticism(1923)isaworkofangry
intelligence:itreadsasifitwerewrittenunderduress.ApparentlyEliotwould
prefertobewritingaboutanythingelse,ortobesilent.Heacceptsthatcriticism
includes,unfortunately,everyformofdiscursivewritingfromthemostleisurelybook
reviewtoasupremeworkofcriticismsuchasSainteBeuvesPortRoyal.InReligion
andLiterature,(1935)hesaysinpoortaste,admittedlythatweshouldnotleave
criticismtothefellowswhowritereviewsinthepapers.Itisdifficulttodesignatea

functionforaplethora.Givensuchafieldofliterarycriticism,Eliotwouldliketosee
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mostofitswanderinginhabitantsejected.Inhappierconditions,literarycriticismwould
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berarelyneeded:

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IhavehadsomeexperienceofExtensionlecturing,andIhavefoundonlytwowaysof
leadinganypupilstolikeanythingwiththerightliking:topresentthemwithaselectionof
thesimplerkindoffactsaboutaworkitsconditions,itssetting,itsgenesisorelseto
springtheworkontheminsuchawaythattheywerenotpreparedtobeprejudicedagainst
it.ThereweremanyfactstohelpthemwithElizabethandrama:thepoemsofT.E.Hulme
onlyneededtobereadaloudtohaveimmediateeffect.

TheconditionsthatobtainedintheliterarymilieuxofLondonandParisintheearly
twentiethcenturypromptedEliottobelievethatthebestkindofliterarycriticismarose
whenapoetappliedhismostintensecriticalconsciousnesstothefirstdraftofhis
poem,tomakeitasgoodashecouldmakeit.Imaintaineventhatthecriticism
employedbyatrainedandskilledwriteronhisownworkisthemostvital,thehighest
kindofcriticismand...thatsomecreativewritersaresuperiortootherssolely
becausetheircriticalfacultyissuperior.Thenextbestconditionsoccurwhenapoet,
onrequest,studiesthefirstdraftsofafriendspoemascarefullyasiftheywerehisown
oradjacenttohisown.EliotfoundtheselatterconditionswhenheaskedEzraPoundto
readHeDothePoliceinDifferentVoices.PoundscriticismandEliotsownturned
thepoemintoTheWasteLand.

Thisfelicityrarelycameabout.Whenitdidnt,Eliothopedthatcriticismwouldbea
modestaffair,andwouldbenefitfromthatquality:

Andanybook,anyessay,anynoteinNotesandQueries,whichproducesafactevenof
thelowestorderaboutaworkofartisabetterpieceofworkthanninetenthsofthemost
pretentiouscriticaljournalism,injournalsorinbooks.

Itakealittlefeeblecomfortfromthissentence.ManyyearsagoIsubmittedtwobrief
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notestoJ.C.Maxwell,editorofNotesandQueries.Heacceptedone,rejectedthe
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other:notabadpercentage.Eliotenlargedthescopeofcriticismwhenhesaid:

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Thecritic,onewouldsuppose,ifheistojustifyhisexistence,shouldendeavourto
disciplinehispersonalprejudicesandcrankstarestowhichweareallsubjectand
composehisdifferenceswithasmanyofhisfellowsaspossible,inthecommonpursuitof
truejudgment.

TheCommonPursuitenteredintogeneralliteraryreferencewhenF.R.Leavisusedit
asthetitleofaselectionofhisessayswhichinturnbecamethetitleofaplayabout
LeavisandhisCambridgecircle.JudgmentwaswhatLeaviscalledevaluation.His
methodsincriticismwerethosethatEliotrecommended,comparisonandanalysis.
Whatmakesacriticaljudgmenttrueisstillaquandary.EliotandLeavisexempted
themselvesfrominterpretation,whichEliotdeclaredtobeonlylegitimatewhenitis
notinterpretationatall,butmerelyputtingthereaderinpossessionoffactswhichhe
wouldotherwisehavemissed.ThissentencemarksatypicalrhythminEliotscritical
mind:hetendstosaythatanexaltedsomethingisnothingbutsomethingmeantowhich
itmaydecentlybereduced.

E liotisathisangriestinthesecondsectionofTheFunctionofCriticism,where
heisprovokedbythissentenceofJohnMiddletonMurrys:

TheEnglishwriter,theEnglishdivine,theEnglishstatesman,inheritnorulesfromtheir
forebearstheyinheritonlythis:asensethatinthelastresorttheymustdependuponthe
innervoice.

Eliotsreply,whichIquoteonlyinpart,isatellingexampleofhispolemicalirony:

Thisstatementdoes,Iadmit,appeartocovercertaincases:itthrowsafloodoflightupon
Mr.LloydGeorge.Butwhyinthelastresort?Dothey,then,avoidthedictatesofthe
innervoiceuptothelastextremity?Mybeliefisthatthosewhopossessthisinnervoice
 arereadyenoughtohearkentoit,andwillhearnoother.Theinnervoice,infact,sounds

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remarkablylikeanoldprinciplewhichhasbeenformulatedbyaneldercriticinthenow
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familiarphraseofdoingasonelikes.Thepossessorsoftheinnervoiceridetenina
compartmenttoafootballmatchatSwansea,listeningtotheinnervoice,whichbreathes
theeternalmessageofvanity,fear,andlust.
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ItistheoldquarrelwithMurryaboutClassicismandRomanticism,buteveninanger,
Eliotslastsentenceisoutrageous.Heavoidsnamingtheeldercritic,MatthewArnold,
becausehewantstokeepthefocusonMurrythoughinpassinghestrikesablowwith
anoldprinciple.Teninacompartment,thecheapestseats.Itisablatantlapseof
tasteonEliotsparttoclaimthatheknowstheeternalmessagebreathedbytheinner
voicetowhichheneverlistens.Vanity,fear,andlust:howwouldheknowthese
deliveranceswellenoughtodistinguishthem?

Eliotishonorboundtosaywhatthefunctionofcriticismis,howeverreluctantheisto
claimthatithasone.Hedriveshimselftowardthestatementbycontrastingartand
criticismintheirdifferentcharacters,acontrasthardlynecessarysincenoonehasever
confoundedthem:

Noexponentofcriticism...has,Ipresume,evermadethepreposterousassumptionthat
criticismisanautotelicactivity.Idonotdenythatartmaybeaffirmedtoserveends
beyonditselfbutartisnotrequiredtobeawareoftheseends,andindeedperformsits
function,whateverthatmaybe,accordingtovarioustheoriesofvalue,muchbetterby
indifferencetothem.Criticism,ontheotherhand,mustalwaysprofessanendinview,
which,roughlyspeaking,appearstobetheelucidationofworksofartandthecorrection
oftaste.

Hardtosayhowroughlythespeakingproceeds.Criticismthatmustalwaysprofessan
endinviewdoesntsoundroughorapproximate,itknowsexactlywhatitmustdo.
Eliotisanxioustoattachthehardwordautotelictoart,andtoletcriticismdothebest
itcanwithitssecondarycharacter.Manypeople,includingtheeditorsoftheOxford

EnglishDictionary(1991reprintwithcorrections),havelivedusefulliveswithoutonce
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speakingthewordautotelic.InEliotsuseithastheforceofNoEntryorKeepOff
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theGrass.

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ButEliotsdoubleformulaisdoubtful.Imaginehowhewouldhavereactedifsomeone

I.A.Richards,forinstanceweretosubmittotheEditorofTheCriterionanessay
calledAnElucidationofTheWasteLand.Hewouldhavesnortedandsaid:The
WasteLanddoesnotneedtobeelucidated,itneedstobereadaloudbyacompetent
speaker,justasI,inmyteachingdays,readaloudHulmesTheEmbankment,a
poemprefacedbyHulmewiththewords,inparenthesis,(Thefantasiaofafallen
gentlemanonacold,bitternight.):

Once,infinesseoffiddlesfoundIecstasy,
Intheflashofgoldheelsonthehardpavement.
NowseeI
Thatwarmthstheverystuffofpoesy.
Oh,God,makesmall
Theoldstareatenblanketofthesky
ThatImayfolditroundmeandincomfortlie.

IfIweretoreadthatpoeminoneofmypoetryclassesatnyu,Ifeelsurethatthreeor
fourstudentswouldaskaquestionalongtheselines:isntthisapoeminFreeVerse?If
itis,whydoesEliotquoteitagaininhisessayonFreeVerse?Doesnthenormally
affirmthatthereisnosuchthingasFreeVerse?Myanswer:No,hedoesntdenythat
thereisFreeVerse,hequotesHulmesEmbankmentbecauseofitsbeautyand
becausethecharmoftheselinescouldnotbe,withouttheconstantsuggestionandthe
skilfulevasionofiambicpentameter.Notetoothatthefirstandlastlineshavetwelve
syllables,asiftheiambicpentameterwereextendedbyanextraiambicfoot.Andtwo
ofitssevenlinesarestandardiambicpentameters.Whywehavepoesyinsteadof
poetrywouldbeahardexaminationquestion.

EliotdoesnotsaywhattheimpactofEmbankmentwasontheclasstowhichheread
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it.Perhapshecouldnotproduceevidence,excepttosaythatthepoemgavepleasure.
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Maybeheurgedtheclasstolistenasiftheywerelisteningtoapieceofmusic.Ifwe
haveachancetohearAndrsSchiffplayingBachsWellTemperedClavier,wedonot
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sayanything,unlesswearemusicologistsorprofessionalmusiccritics:anythingwe
wouldsaywouldbebanal,ourresponseisnotadiscursiveone.Itisnotanoccasionfor
saying.ItmaybeanalogoustotheexperiencethatEliotadumbratesattheendofThe
DrySalvagesof

musicheardsodeeply
Thatitisnotheardatall,butyouarethemusic
Whilethemusiclasts.

ifsuchadegreeoftransformationispossible.

T hisisprobablyenoughtoshowthatelucidationisnottherightwordinEliots
phrasetheelucidationofworksofart.Bycallingworksofartautotelic,he
protectedthemfromimpropercomment,buthedidnotsaywhatformaproper
commentwouldtake.TheCorrectionofTasteismoreintelligible.Itakehimtomean
thatifsomethingisinbadtasteitshouldbecorrectedbyappealtogoodtaste.Topick
upaphraseheusedearlier,tasteisthecustombywhichwelikesomethingwiththe
rightliking.Thatisthedirectionofgoodteaching.Itiseasytolikesomethingforthe
wrongreason.Manyofusliketrashfornogoodorrightreason.Tryingagain:the
functionofcriticismasofgoodteachingistoleadourstudents,ourreaderstolike
somethingfortherightreason.Whatistherightreason?Thatiswhatwehavetoknow
andtobeabletoshow.

Someoftheseshowingsareeasy.TakeagainEliotssentenceaboutthesoccerfansin
thetraintoSwansea.SupposeEliot,inthecompanyoftheuppermiddleclassmenand
womenwhowerehisfrequentcompanions,weretospeakthatsentenceabouttheinner
voice,surelysomeonewouldatleastprotestIsay,Tom,tut,tut.Thatwouldbean
appealtotheimperativeofTaste.Whatfurtherpenaltywouldbeimposed,thatishard
 tosay.ThesentencewouldhardlymeritEliotsexclusionfrompolitesociety.Istherea

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lapseoftasteinMorningattheWindowwhenEliotwrites:Iamawareofthedamp
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soulsofhousemaids/Sproutingdespondentlyatareagates.Howcouldhebeawareof
suchentities,andknowthemtobedamp,andseethemsprouting?InSweeneyErect
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theladiesofthecorridorCallwitnesstotheirprinciples/Anddeprecatethelackof
taste.Whattheydeprecateistheabsenceofadirect,assuredoperationofcustomin
thesurroundingsocialbehavior.Aswelltheymight,sincethisabsencecompelsthemto
callwitnesstotheirprinciples.Taste,likemanners,hasnolawstowhichtoappeal.If
customdoesnotoperate,thegameislost.

DenisDonoghue'smostrecentbookisMetaphor(Harvard).

ThisarticleoriginallyappearedinTheNewCriterion,Volume35Number8,onpage12
Copyright2017TheNewCriterion|www.newcriterion.com
http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/Thefunctionofcriticism8644

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