“To Say Just What I Mean”: The Composition of the Self in T. S. Eliot’s Early Poetry

Key Points

• The study examines T. S. Eliot's philosophical ideas about selfhood in his early poetry.
• Analysis of T. S. Eliot's early poems
• Examination of philosophical influences, especially F. H. Bradley
• Exploration of the relationship between philosophy and poetry
• Eliot's portrayal of selfhood reflects a relativistic conception influenced by philosophical thought.
• Self-obsession in Eliot's personae highlights questions of knowledge and experience.
• The interplay between Eliot's philosophy and poetry reveals continuity in his intellectual and aesthetic pursuits.

Abstract