Harold Bloom - The Anxiety Of Influence. A Theo... -

Wordsworth "swerved" from Milton’s epic style to focus on the individual's internal nature.

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).

A movement of self-discipline where the poet diminishes both themselves and the precursor to reach a lonely state of "solitude." Harold Bloom - The Anxiety of Influence. A Theo...

Writing is a competitive struggle for imaginative survival.

"Strong" poets successfully misread their predecessors; "weak" poets merely imitate them. Wordsworth "swerved" from Milton’s epic style to focus

Milton struggled to find a voice that wasn't overshadowed by Shakespeare’s massive legacy.

Eliot’s insistence on "impersonality" was a defensive reaction (Kenosis) against the Romantic focus on the self. A movement of self-discipline where the poet diminishes

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