Chapter The Beginning of English Literature of Critical Theory 1: Key Concepts by Literary Criticism

2) The Objective Correlative. This Theory, set out in Eliot's essay on Hamlet, suggests that the best way of conveying an emotion in literature is by finding an objective representation of that emotion. Thus, in its most simple and unrefined form, the peach in Eliot's poem "The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" ("Dare I bite a peach") represents the Latin sensuality and emotional honesty which Prufrock simultaneously longs to embrace and shies away from.

Whilst Eliot is a fine and convincing critic, he did little more than lay the foundations for much of the critical writing which followed and enhanced his original theories. His critical work is much maligned at present, but it must be remembered that he was a pioneer in the world of literary critical thought and any serious literature lover should try to get hold of: "Tradition and the Individual Talent", "The Metaphysical Poets", and his essay on Hamlet.