4 Surprising Truths About Digital Scams That Will Change How You Use UPI...
This blog written as a lab activity task on Hackathon : 31 st Dec, 2025. My topic on Upi and online banking fraudthis task is assigned by the Head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir.
In the time it takes to order a coffee with UPI, a scammer can weaponize that same convenience to drain your bank account. The difference isn't technology; it's psychology. The rise of digital payments has been revolutionary, but this convenience has a shadow side: digital fraud has evolved from crude attempts into a sophisticated industry built on psychological manipulation.
In this new landscape, protecting your hard-earned money is no longer about just being "careful." It requires being informed about the counter-intuitive and often surprising ways modern fraudsters operate. They don't just target technological loopholes; they target human nature itself.
This article breaks down the four most impactful truths about modern digital fraud. Understanding these tactics is the first and most critical step in building a defense that truly works in today's digital world.
1. The PIN Paradox: You Never Need to Enter It to Receive Money
One of the most common scams exploits a fundamental misunderstanding of how UPI works. The "Collect Request" deception often plays out on online marketplaces like OLX or Facebook Marketplace. A scammer, posing as a buyer, agrees to a price and offers to send you an advance payment. Instead of sending money, they send a "Collect Request," which can look deceptively similar to a payment confirmation on your phone. Believing you are authorizing a credit, you enter your UPI PIN. The moment you do, the amount is debited from your account.
This scam works because it cleverly inverts your expectation, turning a familiar action—entering a PIN—into an irreversible mistake. If you are ever told you need to enter your PIN to receive a refund or payment, it is a fraud. This single piece of knowledge is your shield. The unbreakable rule is simple: Your UPI PIN is only required to send money or check your balance. You never, under any circumstances, need it to receive funds.
2. They're Not Hacking Your Tech, They're Hacking Your Emotions
While we focus on strong passwords and secure apps, the most sophisticated scammers are targeting something far more vulnerable: our emotions. They practice "Emotional Hijacking," a technique designed to create a state of high emotion—fear, greed, or urgency—to short-circuit logical thinking. The goal is to create a "cognitive tunnel" where a victim's focus is so narrowed by panic or excitement that they ignore the obvious security warnings their banking app might display.
These psychological plays follow common scripts:
* The fear tactic: "Your electricity will be cut in 2 hours if you don't pay this pending ₹10 bill." This creates panic, rushing you to act without thinking.
* The greed tactic: "You have won a ₹5,000 reward for using UPI; click here to claim." The allure of a prize can make you lower your guard and click a malicious link.
* The authority tactic: "A parcel in your name contains illegal items; speak to this 'police officer' to clear your name." Impersonating an official creates intimidation and a sense of helplessness.
By manipulating emotions, fraudsters convince people to willingly perform actions they would never consider in a calm, rational state.
Technology can provide the locks, but social engineering often tricks the user into handing over the keys.
3. Your SIM Card Can Be a Bigger Target Than Your Password
In one of the most devastating forms of digital fraud, criminals don't need your password—they just need control of your phone number. "SIM Swap Fraud" is a sophisticated attack where scammers use fake ID proofs or social engineering with the telecom provider to obtain a duplicate SIM card for your mobile number.
The first sign of this attack is often innocuous: your phone suddenly loses its signal. But by then, it's too late. The fraudster has activated a duplicate SIM, and your original one is now dead. They now have complete control of your phone number and, more importantly, all incoming messages. This includes the one-time passwords (OTPs) sent by your bank for transaction authorizations and password resets. With your OTPs in hand, the scammer can easily reset your net-banking passwords and gain complete access to your financial accounts, often emptying them before you even realize what has happened.
4. The Danger Hiding in Plain Sight: Search Results and QR Codes
Scammers weaponize the very tools we trust to find information and make payments. With "Search Engine Poisoning," fraudsters plant fake customer care numbers for banks or airlines in search results. This tactic preys on a user’s state of distress; when you are in a panic to resolve an issue, you are more likely to trust the first number you find and follow the instructions of the "agent" on the other end.
Similarly, "QR Code Manipulation" turns a symbol of convenience into a trap. Scammers may physically replace a merchant's QR code with their own or, more commonly, send you a fraudulent QR code via WhatsApp claiming it is for a "Cashback." Scanning these malicious codes can either trigger an automated payment authorization to the scammer or redirect your browser to a phishing website designed to steal your credentials. As a final check, always verify the merchant name that appears on your UPI app screen before you hit 'Proceed.'
Conclusion:
"Your Best Defense is Awareness"
As we move deeper into a cashless economy, it is clear that security is a shared responsibility. While technology provides the secure infrastructure, the user is the final and most critical line of defense. The modern scammer targets human behavior, not technical flaws.
Understanding the psychology behind these scams is how you turn from a potential victim into a vigilant guardian of your own finances. By treating unsolicited requests with skepticism and internalizing the simple security rules, you take back control. You transform awareness from a passive defense into an active weapon.
In the digital world, awareness is your best antivirus.
Here is a brief video overview of my blog :
Here is a presentation of Upi and banking fraud :
Thank you !
Friday, 26 December 2025
W. B. Yeats and the Role of the Poet in Modern Times
In moments of profound crisis—whether caused by war, political upheaval, or widespread disease—the responsibility of the artist becomes deeply contested. Early twentieth-century Modernism grappled intensely with this question. Some writers believed the poet must bear witness to suffering, speaking directly from the site of violence, while others argued that poetry should preserve timeless truths by maintaining distance from immediate political demands.
This blog examines W. B. Yeats’s response to catastrophe through two of his most significant poems, On Being Asked for a War Poem and The Second Coming. Drawing on recent critical approaches, particularly the theory of Viral Modernism, the discussion moves beyond conventional political interpretations to explore how personal loss, bodily vulnerability, and the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic informed Yeats’s apocalyptic imagery. The study concludes by addressing a major divide in modern literary history: the contrast between Yeats’s philosophy of aesthetic detachment and Wilfred Owen’s raw, ethical commitment to exposing the “pity of war.”
Here are some videos for discussion-
The transcript reinterprets W. B. Yeats’s “The Second Coming” by looking at it from multiple angles and showing why the poem still feels meaningful today. It begins by placing the poem in the troubled atmosphere of the early twentieth century, a time marked by the aftermath of the First World War and political unrest in Ireland. These events created a sense of instability and fear that strongly influenced Yeats’s vision.
The discussion then moves to a religious and mythological interpretation. It refers to biblical ideas of apocalypse and renewal and explains Yeats’s belief in Spiritus Mundi, a collective store of images and symbols from which poets draw. Through this lens, the poem’s frightening images suggest the collapse of an old world order and the uncertain birth of a new one.
Most importantly, the transcript adds a fresh, modern viewpoint by connecting the poem to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. At the time Yeats was writing the poem, his pregnant wife nearly died from the virus, which makes the poem’s images of sickness, drowning, and uncontrollable destruction especially striking. The speaker suggests that the “rough beast” can be read not only as a political or spiritual symbol, but also as a metaphor for the terrifying spread of disease.
By comparing this historical pandemic to the recent COVID-19 crisis, the transcript argues that “The Second Coming” captures a universal experience of fear, chaos, and loss during times of global health disasters. This idea of “viral modernism” becomes a third important context—alongside politics and religion—for understanding why the poem continues to evoke a powerful sense of dread and uncertainty even in the present day.
The lecture transcript analyzes W. B. Yeats’s brief poem “On Being Asked for a War Poem,” composed in 1915 during the First World War. It explains that Yeats deliberately rejects the idea of writing patriotic or propaganda-style poetry. According to the poem, artists should stay silent during times of war because they lack the power to influence or change the decisions made by political leaders.
The lecture also points out the strong irony in the poem. Although Yeats argues that poets should not interfere in political matters, he paradoxically does so by writing a poem that expresses this refusal. In this way, his act of silence becomes a subtle form of political involvement.
In addition, the discussion offers important biographical and historical background. Yeats’s position as an Irish nationalist made him unwilling to support Britain’s war effort. His political beliefs and national identity pushed him toward neutrality, which helps explain both his refusal to write a war poem and the critical tone of the work.
1.1 On Being Asked for a War Poem (1915)
This six-line poem was written by W. B. Yeats during the early phase of the First World War and reflects his refusal to turn poetry into political propaganda.
Refusal as Meaningful Action:
Although Yeats claims that a poet should remain silent during wartime, he paradoxically conveys this idea through a poem itself. His act of refusal becomes a form of expression, turning silence into a powerful moral stance.
Poet and Politician:
Yeats clearly separates the role of the poet from that of the statesman. He argues that poets possess no authority to guide political decisions, especially during war when nationalist rhetoric overwhelms the subtle and personal truths that poetry offers.
Irony and Political Distance:
As an Irish nationalist, Yeats felt no obligation to support the British Empire through patriotic verse. Instead, he suggests that poets should focus on enduring human experiences such as youth, aging, and wisdom—subjects that remain meaningful beyond political conflict.
1.2. The Second Coming (1919)
Written in the aftermath of World War I and amid revolutionary upheavals in Ireland and Russia, The Second Coming stands as one of the most influential modernist poems of the twentieth century.
Images of Collapse:
The poem opens with the symbol of the “widening gyre,” representing a world losing balance and control. The image of the falcon unable to hear the falconer illustrates the breakdown of moral and social authority, where “the centre cannot hold.”
Spiritus Mundi:
Yeats draws on the idea of a universal or collective memory from which a terrifying vision emerges—a Sphinx-like creature with a human head and a lion’s body, characterized by its cold and merciless gaze.
Pandemic Interpretation:
A modern critical reading connects the poem’s dark imagery, particularly the “blood-dimmed tide,” to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. During this time, Yeats’s pregnant wife was gravely ill, a personal crisis that likely intensified the poem’s atmosphere of fear, suffering, and drowning.
The Bethlehem Vision:
The poem concludes by overturning Christian expectations. Instead of Christ’s redemptive birth, Yeats imagines a “rough beast” moving toward Bethlehem, symbolizing the birth of a violent and ominous new historical age.
Here is the Hindi Podcast of The Second Coming and On Being Asked for a War Poem- Pandemic and War Poems-
Brief Note and Understanding of the Podcast
The podcast offers an innovative reinterpretation of W. B. Yeats’s poetry by combining conventional literary criticism with Elizabeth Outka’s concept of Viral Modernism. This approach broadens Yeats’s work beyond political and historical readings, revealing how biological crisis, personal fear, and collective trauma shaped his poetic vision.
2.1. Silence as a Form of Resistance (On Being Asked for a War Poem)
The podcast explains that in 1915, during the First World War, Yeats was urged by fellow writers to contribute a patriotic poem to a charity anthology intended to support war refugees.
Interpretation:
Yeats’s refusal was not merely an aesthetic choice but a deliberate political position. As an Irish nationalist living under British rule, he could not morally align himself with the British Empire by producing war propaganda. His silence therefore becomes an ethical and ideological act rather than an absence of engagement.
Contemporary Relevance:
The podcast draws a parallel with present-day social media culture, where individuals are often pressured to take immediate political positions. Yeats’s decision to remain silent is presented as a way of preserving artistic honesty and personal integrity in the face of ideological pressure.
2.2. The Idea of a Biological Apocalypse (The Second Coming)
While The Second Coming (1919) is typically read as a response to the political chaos following World War I, the podcast introduces a disturbing but persuasive alternative context: the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.
Personal Context:
At the time of writing, Yeats’s wife, Georgie, was pregnant and critically ill with influenza. The podcast highlights that pregnant women faced extremely high mortality rates during the pandemic, making Yeats’s sense of fear and collapse deeply personal.
Reinterpreting the Imagery:
The phrase “blood-dimmed tide” is re-read not only as a metaphor for war but as a literal description of the flu’s effects, where victims often suffocated due to internal bleeding. The drowning of “innocence” may symbolically reflect Yeats’s anxiety for his unborn child and his wife’s survival.
The Rough Beast:
Rather than representing only political tyranny, the “rough beast” is interpreted as the virus itself—an unseen, merciless force without motive or conscience, unlike human agents of war.
2.3. Final Reflection on the Podcast
The podcast concludes that Yeats’s poetry remains compelling because it expresses collapse on multiple levels—political, spiritual, and biological. By removing specific historical references from early drafts, Yeats transformed his poems into universal expressions of crisis. As a result, works like The Second Coming resonate as powerfully during modern pandemics and global instability as they did in the early twentieth century.
3. Yeats and Wilfred Owen: Two Responses to Catastrophe
The contrast between W. B. Yeats and Wilfred Owen reveals a fundamental divide in literary responses to crisis. Though both poets are Modernists, they embody opposing views of art—as either a timeless sanctuary or a moral instrument of witness.
1. W. B. Yeats: The Ethics of Detachment
For Yeats, the poet functions as a distant observer who seeks to rise above immediate political chaos in order to grasp enduring historical patterns.
Silence as Integrity:
In On Being Asked for a War Poem, Yeats argues that poets lack the authority to correct political leaders. His silence is a conscious refusal to reduce poetry to political propaganda.
Cyclical History:
Through his theory of the Gyres, Yeats viewed World War I as part of an inevitable historical cycle. Because he understood war as a mystical and historical necessity, emotional protest appeared to him incompatible with the dignity of high art.
Modernist Distance:
Yeats maintained a protective distance from battlefield realities, choosing instead to focus on themes such as youth, aging, and spiritual wisdom.
2. Wilfred Owen: Poetry as Moral Witness
In direct contrast, Wilfred Owen represents the poet as a participant and witness to suffering.
The Reality of War:
Owen exposes the physical and psychological horrors of combat, dismantling romantic notions of heroism. In Dulce et Decorum Est, he immerses the reader in the choking terror of a gas attack.
Poetry as Ethical Force:
Owen’s belief that “the Poetry is in the pity” reflects his conviction that poets must testify to suffering and challenge political deception.
Immediate Engagement:
Unlike Yeats’s controlled silence, Owen’s poetry is urgent and confrontational, collapsing the distance between the civilian reader and the soldier’s experience.
Conclusion
The comparison between Yeats and Owen highlights two essential literary responses to catastrophe. Yeats, as the distant observer, uses silence, symbolism, and philosophical distance to preserve the sanctity of art. Owen, as the trench witness, employs graphic realism to expose suffering and provoke moral awareness.
Whether confronting the violence of war or the invisible devastation of a pandemic, these poets demonstrate that literature can either shelter timeless truths or serve as a powerful weapon of testimony. In a world where “things fall apart,” their contrasting voices remain vital guides for understanding human crisis.
Creative activity
When the World Feels Unsteady....
The world keeps spinning faster now,
But no one holds the rope.
Voices shout from every side,
Yet meaning feels remote.
The center cannot stay firm,
Things slip out of hand.
News replaces truth with noise
Across every land.
Children learn the sound of fear
Before they learn to dream.
The old rules crack, the future shakes,
Nothing is as it seems.
Something new is coming close,
We feel it in the air.
Not born of love or hope or faith,
But shaped by neglect and fear.
The cycle turns, the warning stands,
History speaks once more.
If we do not stop and listen now,
We may lose what came before.
Reflection of the poem
This poem reflects the fear and confusion of the modern world during a global crisis. It shows how people feel lost because the world is changing too fast and no one seems to be in control. Like Yeats’s poetry, the poem suggests that the “center” of society—values, truth, and stability—has become weak.
The poem also shows how history moves in cycles. Problems such as war, fear, and disorder do not disappear but return in new forms. Children growing up in this environment inherit fear instead of hope, which highlights the seriousness of the crisis.
The warning tone of the poem is inspired by Yeats’s prophetic style. It suggests that a new future is coming, but it may not be a positive one if people remain careless and divided. Overall, the poem reflects modern anxiety, loss of direction, and the need to understand and respond before things fall apart.
As a part of the Thinking Activity assigned by Megha Trivedi Ma’am on For whom the Bell tolls by Ernest Hemingway. In this blog, i will explore how Robert Jordan fits the idea of a “typical Hemingway hero” and also explain the two main functions of Maria in the novel: her ideological and biological roles. We will use simple language for clarity and include all relevant details.
Here is a detailed infograph of my blog-
Here is a brief video of my blog-
Introduction
Ernest Hemingway is one of the most famous writers of the 20th century. His style and characters have influenced many readers and writers worldwide. One of his major novels, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), shows the author at the height of his skills in writing about war, courage, love, and death. The story is set during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and follows an American dynamiter named Robert Jordan and his experiences working with Spanish guerrillas. Alongside him is Maria, a young woman whose life and relationship with Jordan become central to the emotional and moral core of the novel.
Robert Jordan as a Typical Hemingway Hero
1.1 What is a “Hemingway Hero” ?
Ernest Hemingway created a special type of character that reflects his view of life. These characters are often called “Hemingway heroes.” They usually have certain traits:
They face difficult situations with courage.
They stay calm and strong under pressure.
They show emotional control even when suffering.
They focus on action rather than emotion.
They accept the reality of death.
They often struggle with personal beliefs and values.
These traits come from Hemingway’s own life — he was a soldier, journalist, and adventurer who saw war and danger firsthand. So, his heroes reflect his experience and beliefs about courage and dignity in a harsh world.
1.2 Robert Jordan’s Background and Context
Robert Jordan is an American who goes to Spain to fight with the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. He is a dynamiter, which means he is in charge of dangerous explosives. His mission is to blow up a bridge that is held by Fascist forces. This bridge is strategically important, and removing it could help the Republican resistance.
Jordan is educated and thoughtful, but also practical. He knows that war is full of confusion, fear, and death, but he still believes in the cause for which he is fighting. Like many Hemingway heroes, he thinks deeply but acts decisively.
1.3 Courage Under Fire
One of the most important traits of a Hemingway hero is courage. Hemingway did not mean courage as the absence of fear. Instead, he meant fear faced honestly and controlled without weakness.
Robert Jordan faces danger every day. He works with dynamite, plans attacks, and leads guerrilla fighters under constant threat. Yet he remains focused on his task. He understands fear, but he does not allow fear to control him. For example, when he must examine enemy land, he calmly observes details and thinks through every step. He never gives up even when situations seem desperate.
This echoes the typical Hemingway hero — like Frederic Henry in A Farewell to Arms or the Old Man in The Old Man and the Sea — facing hardship with steady strength.
1.4 Emotional Control and Inner Conflict
Hemingway heroes do not show emotions easily. They experience emotions powerfully, but they keep them under control. This helps them stay focused and strong, especially in life‑and‑death situations.
Robert Jordan feels fear, sadness, love, and doubt. But he rarely lets these feelings overwhelm him. When he falls in love with Maria, he still reflects on his duty. He does not abandon his mission even though love deeply affects him. He balances emotion with reason. This emotional control is a key trait of the typical Hemingway hero.
1.5 Honesty and Integrity
Hemingway heroes are honest about themselves, about death, and about life’s truths. They do not pretend things are different from what they really are.
Robert Jordan is honest with himself and others. He faces the truth of war — its horrors, its sacrifices, and its unpredictable nature. He admits when he makes mistakes. He also accepts that the mission may cost his life, but he continues because of his belief in its importance.
This honesty — even toward painful realities — is central to the Hemingway code hero.
1.6 Duty and Commitment
A central feature of Hemingway heroes is a strong sense of duty. This does not always mean blind obedience. Rather, it is a conscious choice to stand by one’s principles even under suffering.
Robert Jordan joins the fight because he deeply believes in fighting oppression. He is not a reckless adventurer, but a committed fighter who understands the seriousness of his choices. Even when he questions the politics around him or doubts the outcome, his sense of duty remains firm.
This sense of duty without self‑importance or pride is typical of Hemingway’s heroes, whose courage is more about devotion than glory.
1.7 Individualism and Personal Code
Hemingway heroes follow their own personal code. They have their own sense of right and wrong, even if it conflicts with society’s beliefs.
Robert Jordan does not blindly follow orders. He makes his own moral judgments. For instance, he respects his comrades and cares deeply about their lives, but he also understands that his mission has larger consequences.
He is polite, respectful, and humane, yet ready to do whatever is necessary in war. This careful balance of values makes him a clear example of a typical Hemingway hero.
1.8 Death and Acceptance
One of the most important parts of a Hemingway hero is the acceptance of death. They do not seek death, but they understand it as part of life, especially in war.
Throughout For Whom the Bell Tolls, Robert Jordan thinks about death. He considers his own possible end, yet he accepts it calmly. Near the conclusion, when he knows he may die, he does not show fear but remains focused on completing his mission and protecting his comrades.
This calm acceptance — living fully yet ready to die — is the heart of the Hemingway hero.
Maria’s Two Main Functions in For Whom the Bell Tolls
Maria is one of the most important female characters in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Unlike Robert Jordan, she is not a fighter or a soldier with a mission. Instead, her presence in the novel serves two main functions:
Ideological function
Biological function
Let’s explore both in detail.
2.1 Who is Maria?
Maria is a young Spanish woman whose life changed tragically when the Fascist forces attacked her village. She was traumatized, lost her family, and was rescued by the guerrillas. She lives with the guerrilla group and eventually meets Robert Jordan. The two fall deeply in love.
Maria’s background shows pain, vulnerability, recovery, and strength. Through her story and relationship with Jordan, Hemingway explores deeper themes of love, hope, healing, and human connection in wartime.
2.2Maria’s Ideological Function
The ideological function refers to how Maria represents certain ideas and beliefs in the story.
a) Symbol of Hope and Renewal
Maria represents hope in the midst of destruction. She has suffered tragedy, yet her spirit survives. In a world filled with violence and death, she remains alive and capable of love. Her ability to love again shows that humanity can endure even after great pain.
Her relationship with Jordan shows the power of connection to bring emotional and moral strength. She gives Jordan hope — hope that life can be meaningful even during war.
b) Symbol of Humanity Beyond War
Maria reminds us that war is not only about battles and politics. It affects real human lives — young women, families, lovers, and ordinary people. While Robert Jordan fights for a political cause, Maria’s presence reminds the reader why that cause matters: to protect human lives and dignity.
Her gentle spirit shows that people are not just soldiers or fighters; they are human beings with emotions, dreams, and vulnerability.
c) Representation of Innocence Lost and Regained
War often destroys innocence. Maria has lost her family and her peaceful life. But through time and love, she regains trust, joy, and a sense of belonging.
In this sense, Maria’s ideological function is to remind the reader that even terrible events cannot completely destroy human hearts. Love and hope can be reborn.
2.3 Maria’s Biological Function
The biological function refers to the role Maria plays in terms of natural human life — love, intimacy, rebirth, and continuation of life.
a) Physical Love and Emotional Healing
Maria becomes more than a friend to Robert Jordan — she becomes his lover. Their relationship shows the natural human need for love and intimacy, even during war.
This relationship serves two purposes:
It shows how emotional healing happens through love.
It reveals a deeper side of Jordan — a man who is usually calm and controlled now shows tenderness and affection.
This contrast makes both characters more real and human.
b) Symbol of Life Continuing
War destroys lives, but Maria and Jordan’s love represents new life and continuity. In a novel full of death, their union symbolizes the possibility of new beginnings. Human love becomes a force that fights despair.
Maria becomes a reminder that life continues — that even in the darkest times, people still form bonds and create families. This biological aspect of her role adds emotional richness to the story.
c) A Bridge Between Action and Emotion
Robert Jordan’s main role is action — blowing up the bridge for military strategy. Maria’s presence introduces emotion — the human reason for fighting.
Together, the biological and emotional aspects remind the reader why the fight matters. They show that war is not only about politics or strategy; it is also about protecting families, relationships, and future generations.
2.4 How Maria and Jordan’s Relationship Affects the Story
Their love story is central to the emotional strength of the novel.
It gives Jordan a reason to care about life beyond war.
It shows Maria’s strength — not as a passive character, but as someone who supports, heals, and loves.
The bond illustrates how human connection can be a powerful force against despair, fear, and destruction.
This deep relationship makes the novel not just a war story, but a human story about love, hope, and courage.
Conclusion
In For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway creates characters that are not just fighters or symbols, but living human beings with beliefs, emotions, strengths, and vulnerabilities.
Robert Jordan stands as a typical Hemingway hero because he shows courage grounded in reality, emotional control, honesty, acceptance of death, and a strong inner moral code. He does not seek glory, but he accepts duty and faces fear with determination.
Maria, though not a soldier, plays two essential functions in the novel:
Ideological Function — she symbolizes hope, humanity, and emotional resilience. Through her, Hemingway shows that love and dignity can survive even the worst human suffering.
Biological Function — she represents natural life, love, healing, and continuity. She and Jordan’s relationship brings emotional depth and reminds us why human lives are worth fighting for.
Together, Robert Jordan and Maria make the story of For Whom the Bell Tolls not just a battle narrative, but a profound reflection on what it means to live, love, sacrifice, and remain human in the face of war.
Eliot’s Vision of Poetry: "Historical Sense and Depersonalization Explained"
This blog is a part of Bridge course on T.S Eliot's Tradition and Individual Talent where Dr. and Prof. Dilip Barad has given us 5 videos and an article from which I can mention as per my research epistimology and understanding of Eliot's framework.
Here is a detailed infograph of my blog-
Here is a brief video of my blog-
Introduction
T. S. Eliot is one of the most influential critics and poets of the twentieth century. His essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent” (1919) is a landmark text in modern literary criticism. In this essay, Eliot redefines the meaning of tradition, challenges the Romantic idea of personal emotion in poetry, and introduces the concept of depersonalization. Instead of viewing poetry as a personal outpouring of feelings, Eliot presents it as a disciplined art form deeply connected with literary history.
This blog attempts to explain Eliot’s major critical ideas—Tradition, Historical Sense, Individual Talent, Depersonalization, Objective Criticism, and Poetry as an Escape from Emotion—in simple words. The explanations are supported by the given quotations and are written from a student’s understanding, suitable for academic discussion and classroom presentation.
Eliot’s Concept of ‘Tradition’
What is Tradition According to Eliot?
When we hear the word tradition, we often think of something old, rigid, or outdated. However, T. S. Eliot gives a completely different meaning to tradition. For him, tradition is not merely following old writers or copying classical styles. Instead, tradition is a living and dynamic process.
According to Eliot, tradition means a continuous literary relationship between the past and the present. A writer should be aware of the entire literary history of Europe—from Homer to modern writers—not as dead facts but as a living presence. Tradition, therefore, is not inheritedautomatically; it must be earned through hard work and study.
Eliot strongly believes that a great writer does not write in isolation. Every new work of literature enters into a relationship with existing works. When a new poem is written, it does not only get influenced by the past; it also slightly alters how we see the past works.
Thus, tradition is not static but ever-changing.
Explanation of the Quote:
“The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past but of its presence.”
This quote clearly explains Eliot’s idea of tradition. By pastness of the past, Eliot means knowing that past literature belongs to another time. But by presence, he means that past literature still influences the present.
In simple words, the past is not dead. It lives in the present through language, themes, forms, and ideas. A poet must feel that Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and other great writers are still relevant and alive in modern writing.
So, historical sense is not about memorizing dates or names. It is about feeling the continuity of literature.
Explanation of the Second Quote:
“This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal, and of the timeless and of the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional.”
This quote highlights the balance between timelessness and time-bound reality.
Timeless refers to universal themes such as love, death, faith, suffering, and human emotions.
Temporal refers to the writer’s own age, society, and personal context.
A traditional writer is one who can unite both. He writes about modern life but with an awareness of timeless human experience. This balance makes a writer truly traditional, not old-fashioned.
Historical Sense: Meaning and Importance
What is Historical Sense?
Historical sense, according to Eliot, is the awareness of literary history as a living whole. It is the ability to see literature as a continuous flow where past and present coexist.
A poet with historical sense:
Understands previous writers deeply
Feels their influence naturally
Does not imitate blindly
Writes with awareness, not ignorance
Historical sense makes a poet mature, responsible, and disciplined.
Why is Historical Sense Important?
Historical sense:
Saves poetry from excessive emotionalism
Encourages intellectual depth
Connects individual creativity with collective culture
Makes literature richer and more meaningful
Without historical sense, poetry becomes shallow and self-centered.
Relationship Between “Tradition” and “Individual Talent”
What Does Eliot Mean by Individual Talent?
Individual talent refers to a poet’s unique ability, creativity, and personal style. But Eliot does not believe that individual talent works independently of tradition.
According to him, tradition and individual talent are interdependent.
Explanation of the Relationship Eliot argues that:
A poet must submit his individuality to tradition
Individual talent gains value only within tradition
Tradition gets renewed through individual talent
This means that a poet becomes great not by rejecting tradition but by contributing something new to it.
True originality lies in reshaping tradition, not destroying it.
Explanation of the Shakespeare–Plutarch Quote
“Some can absorb knowledge; the more tardy must sweat for it. Shakespeare acquired more essential history from Plutarch than most men could from the whole British Museum.”
This quote highlights natural genius versus mechanical learning.
Eliot suggests that:
Some writers absorb knowledge naturally
Others depend on excessive research
Shakespeare learned deeply from limited sources
Quality matters more than quantity
Shakespeare used Plutarch creatively, not academically. This shows that true learning is creative absorption, not accumulation of facts.
Honest Criticism and Objective Appreciation
Explanation of the Quote:
“Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation are directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry.”
Eliot strongly supports objective criticism.
He believes that:
Critics should focus on the poem, not the poet’s life
Personal feelings, morality, and biography should be avoided
Poetry should be judged as an independent object
This idea opposes Romantic criticism, which emphasized the poet’s emotions and personality.
According to Eliot, great criticism is impersonal.
Eliot’s Theory of Depersonalization
What is Depersonalization?
Depersonalization means that the poet’s personal emotions should not directly enter poetry. Poetry should transform emotion into art, not express it directly.
Chemical Reaction Analogy (Platinum Catalyst)
Eliot explains depersonalization using a chemical analogy:
Oxygen + Sulphur Dioxide → Sulphurous Acid
Platinum acts as a catalyst
Platinum remains unchanged
Similarly:
Emotions and experiences are raw materials
Poet’s mind is like platinum
Poetry is the final product
Poet’s personality does not appear in the poem
Thus, the poet should remain emotionally detached.
Poetry as an Escape from Emotion and Personality
Explanation of the Quote:
“Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality but an escape from personality.”
This statement clearly opposes Romantic poetry.
Eliot believes:
Poetry is controlled, not emotional overflow
Personal feelings must be transformed
Art requires discipline and restraint
Poetry is not about self-expression but artistic expression.
Two Points for a Critique of T. S. Eliot as a Critic
1. Eurocentric Bias
Eliot focuses mainly on Western literature and ignores Eastern and non-European traditions.
2. Overemphasis on Impersonality
His strict theory of depersonalization may limit emotional richness and human warmth in poetry.
The following video lectures significantly enhanced my understanding of the text.
Video 1:
The transcript emphasizes T. S. Eliot’s central importance as one of the founding figures of twentieth-century literary criticism. Working alongside contemporaries such as I. A. Richards, Eliot contributed to the formation of a critical movement that later developed into New Criticism, represented by thinkers like Allen Tate and Cleanth Brooks. The discussion organizes Eliot’s wide-ranging intellectual influence into three major dimensions: literary classicism, political royalism, and Anglo-Catholic religious belief. Through these perspectives, the transcript demonstrates how Eliot’s personal beliefs shaped his critical theories. Overall, the discussion offers a concise historical overview of modernism, highlighting the major critics and ideas that guided the development of literary criticism.
Video 2:
The discussion examines T. S. Eliot’s literary theory, particularly his argument that tradition functions as a constructive and necessary foundation for artistic creation rather than a limiting force. It explains that individual talent, in Eliot’s view, does not arise from solitary self-expression but from situating one’s work within a long-standing historical and cultural continuum. By challenging the Romantic focus on personal emotion and individuality, the source underscores Eliot’s insistence on a historical awareness that links a writer’s work to the wider European literary tradition. It further suggests that a poet must subordinate personal identity in order to align with, and subtly enrich, the traditions inherited from the past. Ultimately, the discussion presents Eliot’s ideas as an extension of Matthew Arnold’s concept of historical sense, asserting that no literary work can be fully understood apart from its relationship with earlier traditions.
Video 3:
T. S. Eliot’s literary theory generally emphasizes the importance of deep learning and familiarity with literary tradition for poets. However, he treats Shakespeare as a rare exception to this rule. Eliot suggests that extraordinary geniuses do not always require formal education, as they can intuitively absorb knowledge from their surroundings. Influenced by Matthew Arnold’s ideas, Eliot argues that Shakespeare, despite lacking a university education, successfully captured the spirit of his age and the historical materials of his time. By closely observing the cultural and social life around him, Shakespeare was able to create a wide range of themes and memorable characters. Thus, Eliot concludes that true individual talent sometimes lies in an exceptional capacity to learn from lived experience rather than from structured academic study.
Video 4:
In this academic discussion, critics explore T. S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” with special attention to his use of a scientific metaphor to explain poetic creation. Eliot compares the poet’s mind to a piece of platinum that enables a chemical reaction between sulfur dioxide and oxygen while remaining unchanged itself. Through this comparison, Eliot explains his idea of impersonalization, arguing that a poet should function as a neutral medium rather than expressing personal emotions directly. This view is presented in opposition to the Romantic emphasis on emotional self-expression. The discussion also shows how early twentieth-century critics attempted to bring scientific precision into literary studies. Finally, Eliot’s theory is connected to Aristotle’s philosophy, particularly the idea of a calm, detached intellect that observes and shapes experience without being emotionally affected by it.
Video 5:
T. S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent” brought a major change to twentieth-century literary criticism by reducing the importance of the author’s personal life. Eliot presents tradition not as the mechanical copying of past works, but as an active and evolving heritage that a poet must consciously study and become part of. He challenges the Romantic notion of personal genius and emotional self-expression, instead proposing the idea of poetic impersonality, where the poet functions as an objective medium rather than a personal voice. By stressing the elimination of personality from art, Eliot redirected critical attention from the author to the text itself. As a result, this essay laid the intellectual foundation for New Criticism, encouraging close and systematic analysis of literary works as self-contained entities.
Conclusion
T. S. Eliot’s critical ideas revolutionized modern literary criticism. His concepts of tradition, historical sense, depersonalization, and objective criticism shifted the focus from emotion to intellect, from individuality to collective culture.
Though his theories have limitations, they remain foundational in literary studies. Eliot teaches us that great poetry is not emotional chaos but intellectual order, not personal confession but artistic discipline.
Understanding Eliot helps students develop a deeper, more mature approach to literature, making his criticism highly relevant even today.
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