Re-Evaluating T. S. Eliot’s Use of Epigraph in Light of Deleuze and Guattari’s Theory of Assemblage

Year 2023, Issue: 59, 49 - 67, 15.06.2023

Onur Ekler

Abstract

The function of epigraph in Eliot’s poetry has become the
focal point of a perennial debate for a long time. As it is the case,
there have been different researches conducted on this inquiry in the
scholarly field. Some critics argue that Eliot uses epigraph in homage
to the literary tradition. They tend to undervalue the contribution
of epigraph in his poetry since they regard its use as obscure and
incomprehensible. On the other hand, some other critics consider it as
a significant part of his poetry. They argue that Eliot’s poetry would
have lost its integrity without epigraph. Although both groups have
a fair share in their studies on Eliot’s use of epigraph, this argument
still needs further considerations to have more insight into the role of
epigraph in Eliot’s poetry. To bridge this gap and to further discuss the
complexity of the role of epigraph in Eliot’s poetry, this study traces
Eliot’s use of epigraph in light of Deleuze and Guattari’s theory of
assemblage, which is expounded in A Thousand Plateaus, the second
volume of their book, Capitalism and Schizophrenia (1980). Similar to
Deleuze-Guattarian assemblage theory, epigraph may function as one
of poem’s production components without losing its own integrity. It
may function both as a unit of production and a product in itself. As
such, it juxtaposes individual and universal aspects of poetry without
distorting the poetic harmony. In this context, this article aims to study
the role of epigraph in Eliot’s poetry in line with Deleuze-Guattarian
assemblage. To theoretically ground the argument, this article firstly
explores the nature of Eliot’s poetry, and then elucidates Deleuze-Guattarian assemblage in detail. Lastly, it examines this function of
epigraph in some of Eliot’s selected poems.

Keywords

Assemblage, Epigraph, Poetry, Criticism, T. S. Eliot

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