The Application Of "Objective Correlative" Theory In T.S. Eliot’s Early Poetry

Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1986), a great poet, critic and playwright in thetwentieth century, as a vanguard, he made great efforts to open up a way for modernpoetry. His poetry and poetics are influential in the literary circle, not only in his times,but also nowadays. His famous early poetics, including theories on tradition,impersonality, and “objective correlative” etc. are obviously manifested in his earlypoetry creation. Because of his “objective correlative” theory has not been studiedsystematically, and many of his early poems have not been studied at home, this thesisprobes to the origins of the “objective correlative” theory and tries to study his earlypoetry from a new perspective—the application of his “objective correlative” theory,and analyzes the use and effects of three most representative “objective correlatives”,metaphysical conceits, allusions and symbols.The articulation of “objective correlative” theory is not accidental, which isoriginated from Eliot’s education background including his philosophy study and hisextensive reading of many poets’ works, both ancient and modern, like Metaphysicalpoets, French symbolists and Ezra Pound etc. What’s more, this theory is not isolated,but closely related to his other poetic theories, especially his concept on tradition andimpersonal theory, which are bases for “objective correlative” theory. Eliot paid muchattention to tradition, from which he found the weapons to his poetry creation.“Objective correlative” theory is the weapon to fight against the vague expression inromantic poetry. Through the use of metaphysical conceits, allusions and symbols,regarded as formula of that particular emotion, the impersonality can be achieved. Ofcourse, different techniques produce different effects, so the effects of thesetechniques are stated respectively.The thesis consists four chapters. Chapter One is the Introduction, which consiststhree parts. First, the brief introduction to T.S. Eliot and his works and the content andthe characteristics of his early poetry are presented. Second, the literature reviews ofthe study on Eliot abroad and at home are introduced in different categories. Last, theintroduction to the structure of the thesis and the main ideas of each section. Chapter Two focuses on “objective correlative” theory, including two parts. The first partprobes the origins of “objective correlative” theory from four aspects—Eliot’seducational background, the decay of Romantic poetry, several important schoolswhich had influenced Eliot and his previous poetics which are related to “objectivecorrelative” theory. The second part introduces the articulation and the content of“objective correlative” theory and analyzes aims of this theory. Chapter Three is themain section of the thesis, which elaborates the application of “objective correlative”theory from three aspects, the use of Metaphysical conceits, allusions and symbols inhis early poetry. After the analysis of the use of conceits, allusions and symbols as“objective correlatives”, the effects of different “objective correlatives” are illustrated.Chapter Four is Conclusion, made of two parts. First, the origins and aims of“objective correlative” theory and the application of the three distinctive “objectivecorrelatives” are summarized and the effects of three different “objective correlatives”are compared. Second, the limitations of the thesis are analyzed.