Hentea, Marius. (2010) The silence of the last poet: Matthew Arnold, T. S. Eliot, and the value of the classic. Modern Language Quarterly, Vol.71 (No.3). pp. 297-328. ISSN 0026-7929

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Abstract

This essay explores the conceptions of the classic, and of literary value more generally, in T. S. Eliot's “What Is a Classic?” and Matthew Arnold's “Study of Poetry.” Eliot's address heavily depends on Arnold's study, but there are significant points of difference, especially when it comes to the question of Homer and Virgil. Fundamentally, though, both Arnold and Eliot reach toward a transcendental, even religious, view of the classic. The essay concludes by developing the implications of Eliot's “last poet” and the silencing qualities of the classic hinted at in his address. These qualities have not been sufficiently understood, but taking them seriously shows why the current defense of the classic is dubious.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts > English and Comparative Literary Studies
Journal or Publication Title:	Modern Language Quarterly
Publisher:	Duke University Press
ISSN:	0026-7929
Date:	September 2010
Volume:	Vol.71
Number:	No.3
Number of Pages:	32
Page Range:	pp. 297-328
Identification Number:	10.1215/00267929-2010-013
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/5361

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