Dissociation of Sensibility

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Dissociation of sensibility is a literary concept introduced by the poet and critic T. S. Eliot. He used this term to describe a historical change in English poetry, where feeling and thought became separated. Eliot believed that earlier poets were able to blend deep emotion and clear thinking in their poetry, but later poets lost this unity.

Main Ideas of Dissociation of Sensibility

Unity of Thought and Feeling – Eliot believed that in the work of poets like John Donne and other Metaphysical poets, emotion and intellect were combined naturally. These poets could express complex ideas through strong, sincere emotions.
Separation Over Time – After the 17th century, Eliot argued, English poetry began to lose this balance. Thought and feeling became separate. Poets could no longer feel their ideas deeply or think through their emotions clearly.
Resulting Weakness – This split led to poetry that was either too intellectual and dry, or too emotional without deep thought. Eliot believed this made much of the later poetry less powerful or complete.

Example from Literature

T. S. Eliot admired John Donne, whose poems like "The Canonization" mix clever logic with deep love and passion. Donne could write about love using philosophical and spiritual ideas without losing emotional depth.
In contrast, Eliot thought that poets of the 18th century, like John Milton or Dryden, focused more on style and reason, and their poetry lost emotional richness.

Importance in Literary Criticism

Dissociation of sensibility helps readers and critics think about the relationship between feeling and thinking in literature. Eliot used this idea to call for a return to poetry that brings both together. It also shaped modernist poetry, where writers like Eliot himself tried to reunite emotion and intellect in new ways.


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