A movement of self-discipline where the poet diminishes both themselves and the precursor to reach a lonely state of "solitude."
Eliot’s insistence on "impersonality" was a defensive reaction (Kenosis) against the Romantic focus on the self.
Wordsworth "swerved" from Milton’s epic style to focus on the individual's internal nature. Harold Bloom - The Anxiety of Influence. A Theo...
The final stage where the new poet’s work is so strong it makes the precursor’s work sound like it was influenced by the new writer. ⚡ Key Takeaways
Accessing a power or "daimon" that supposedly predates the precursor, bypassing them entirely. A movement of self-discipline where the poet diminishes
Total originality is a myth; all poems are "inter-poems" written in response to others.
The more history progresses, the harder it becomes for new writers to be "great." 🔍 Examples in Literature ⚡ Key Takeaways Accessing a power or "daimon"
Bloom argues that "great" writing is born from a writer's fear that they have nothing original to say. This creates a "Freudian" struggle between the (the established master) and the Ephebe (the new poet).