The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism

"The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism" by T. S. Eliot is a compilation of essays that looks at poetry and literary analysis, showcasing the author's ideas on how writing has changed and what poets and critics do in the world. It talks about how important history is, how old and brand new writings connect, and what criticism should really do for literature. The book starts with the author’s take on literary criticism by contemplating a previous author and a specific era of writers. Eliot finds fault with how criticism focuses too much on feelings and how critics tend to wander off from what's really important: understanding the literature. Eliot shares his view that real criticism should know its history, seeing how older works affect today's writings. Understanding the whole history of literature becomes necessary and a writer's worth is linked to knowing both old and new writings. This sets things up for a closer look at how poems are expressed and what critics do to share and protect poetry.