A movement of self-discipline where the poet diminishes both themselves and the precursor to reach a lonely state of "solitude."
Writers must intentionally "misread" their idols to create space for their own work.
A "swerve" away from the precursor, implying the original poem went wrong at a specific point. Harold Bloom - The Anxiety of Influence. A Theo...
Accessing a power or "daimon" that supposedly predates the precursor, bypassing them entirely.
The poet "completes" the precursor’s work, suggesting the original didn't go far enough. A movement of self-discipline where the poet diminishes
Bloom outlines six specific ways (or "ratios") that a new poet twists the work of a predecessor to make it their own:
"Strong" poets successfully misread their predecessors; "weak" poets merely imitate them. The poet "completes" the precursor’s work, suggesting the
Milton struggled to find a voice that wasn't overshadowed by Shakespeare’s massive legacy.