Anxiety of influence

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Anxiety of Influence is a type of literary criticism established by Harold Bloom in 1973, in his book, The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry . It refers to the psychological struggle of aspiring authors to overcome the anxiety posed by the influence of their literary antecedents.

Contents

Theory

The theory of anxiety of influence is a theory applied principally to early nineteenth century romantic poetry. Its author, Harold Bloom, maintains that the theory has general applicability to the study of literary tradition, ranging from Homer and the Bible to Thomas Pynchon and Anne Carson in the 20th and 21st century. It is based primarily on Bloom's belief that there is no such thing as an original poem, that every new composition is simply a misreading or misinterpretation of an earlier poem and that influence is unavoidable and inescapable; all writers inevitably, to some degree, adopt, manipulate or alter and assimilate certain aspects of the content or subject matter, literary style or form from their predecessors. [1] To illustrate his point, Bloom quotes Oscar Wilde, noting that:

"Influence is simply transference of personality, a mode of giving away what is most precious to one's self, and its exercise produces a sense, and, it may be, a reality of loss. Every disciple takes away something from his master." [2]

Contrary to universally held beliefs that the literary influence of precursors can provide a purely benevolent and inspirational platform for aspiring writers, Bloom credits this influence also with the opposite effect. [3] He contends that it can prove detrimental, that this influence instills in young writers a type of unease, apprehension, or anxiety as they psychologically struggle against past literary forebears to create something definitive and original and achieve literary recognition and success. Bloom equates this struggle to the Freudian family drama; particularly to the Oedipus complex and relationship of son to father, where the emerging writer is cast as the 'son' in a battle against the 'father'; a literary precursor. [1] Bloom claims that this forces poets or authors into a type of 'creative misprision'; where they must distort the works of their literary masters in an attempt to create something revolutionary and innovative. [3] The authors who triumph over this struggle are deemed 'strong', with some even receiving acclaim to the extent where the contemporary has the potential to transcend time, with some literary predecessors being read in terms of their contemporary successor. In contrast, writers who cannot prevail over this anxiety of influence are deemed 'weak', with their works regarded as markedly derivative and reminiscent of the works of earlier literary masters. Some great poets in which Bloom draws upon, who have overcome this anxiety of influence include Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Wallace Stevens.

Effects on literature

In order to determine the effects of this theory on literature, Bloom has established the six "revisionary ratios", which are occasionally based on the model of Freud's defense mechanisms. [1] [4] These ratios show the developmental stages of anxiety of influence in relation to the ways a poet or author misreads and deforms the work of a literary precursor in the composition of a literary text. [5]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Abrams & Harpham 2009 , pp. 155–156
  2. ↑ Bloom 1997 , p. 6
  3. 1 2 3 Bloom 1997 [ page needed ]
  4. ↑ Bloom 1997 , pp. 8–9
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Geddes 1999
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bloom 1997 , p. 14
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bloom 1997 , p. 15

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