Welcome back to our "One Day, One Term" series! After exploring the emotional "formula" of Eliot and the "mysterious doubt" of Keats, we return to T.S. Eliot for one of his most debated and influential concepts. If you have ever felt that some poems are "too intellectual" while others are "too emotional," you have already experienced what Eliot calls the "split" in the English literary mind.

1. Understanding the Concept

In simple Indian English, Dissociation of Sensibility means a separation of feelings from thoughts. Eliot believed that in the past (especially during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras), poets could think and feel at the exact same time. However, somewhere in the 17th century, a "crack" appeared. Poets started either just thinking (becoming too logical) or just feeling (becoming too sentimental).

2. Historical Origin: "The Metaphysical Poets" (1921)

T.S. Eliot introduced this term in his famous essay "The Metaphysical Poets." While reviewing the works of John Donne and George Herbert, he noticed that for these poets, a thought was not just an idea—it was something they could "smell" or "taste."

3. The "Villains" of the Split

Eliot argued that the dissociation began because of two major literary figures: John Milton and John Dryden. He felt that their influence made English poetry too descriptive and "grand," losing the delicate balance of the Metaphysical poets.

• 18th Century: Became too intellectual and "dry" (The Age of Reason).
• 19th Century: Became too "dreamy" and sentimental (The Romantics).

Conclusion

For competitive exams, remember that Eliot used this concept to revive interest in 17th-century poets like John Donne. He wanted modern poetry to move away from pure "romantic dreaming" and return to a style where the intellect and the senses work together again.