Modernism and Classics: T. S. Eliot as a Critic of Goethe

Abstract

The article attempts to analyze the worldview of the famous modernist Eliot, the relation between the contemporary and classical literatures and the possibilities of the poetic language. In his youth Eliot was not able to fully understand and perceive Goethe’s philosophy in its depth since he viewed it in complete isolation from his poetry. Only years after did he come to the conclusion that the greatness of a genius is demonstrated in his ability to merge the philosophical mind with the poetic language thereby creating infinite semantic opportunities for the given language.