Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Allen Tate (1899–1979) was an American poet, essayist, and social commentator, a key member of the Fugitives, a group of poets who promoted traditionalism in literature and culture. He was a significant literary critic whose work was deeply rooted in the principles of the New Criticism, though his approach also incorporated historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives. His criticism was marked by a defense of tradition, formalism, and a reaction against modernist fragmentation and industrial materialism. Tate was an influential New Critic, emphasizing the close reading of texts. His critical works include Reactionary Essays on Poetry and Ideas (1936) and The Forlorn Demon (1953).
Allen Tate is best known for his two important essays, “The Man of Letters in the Modern World” (1952) and “Tension in Poetry” (1938).
Tension in Poetry:
Allen Tate’s essay “Tension in Poetry” (1938) is a foundational text in New Criticism, offering a formalist approach to analyzing poetry by focusing on the interplay of meaning within a poem’s structure. Tate introduces the concept of “tension” (from the Latin tensio, meaning "stretching") as the dynamic balance between different layers of meaning in a poem.
Tate coins the term “tension” (a portmanteau of extension and intension) to describe the ideal poetic state where Extension means the denotative, literal meaning of words. At the same time, Intension is the connotative, metaphorical associations of the words. Thus, Tension is the unified whole where both layers work together without contradiction. Tension, according to Tate, is the proper balance between the literal meaning and the metaphorical meaning of the words in a poem. He argues that great poetry balances extension (literal meaning) and intension (metaphorical meaning) to create a unified whole.
For example, in John Donne’s “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”, the literal farewell (extension) and the metaphysical conceit of the compass (intension) create a richer, unified meaning. On a literal level, the poem is a farewell speech from a man to his lover as he departs on a journey. He urges her not to mourn his absence, arguing that their love is so refined that it transcends physical separation. Donne elevates the poem beyond mere parting words through metaphysical conceits (unexpected, intellectual comparisons). He uses the compass conceit; a drawing compass has two legs—one fixed, one moving. He suggests that the two lovers are like a compass. The woman is the fixed foot, rooted in love, while the man is the moving foot, who roams but always leans toward her. The compass makes a circle, which signifies that their love is eternal and unbroken.
In this poem, the Tension is the contrast between scientific, geometric imagery (cold, precise) and the emotional, spiritual bond (warm, infinite), which creates a stretched unity, or similarity.
In the same poem, Donne also contrasts ‘earthquakes’ with the movement of celestial bodies. "Dull sublunary lovers’ love" (ordinary couples) suffer from separation like earthquakes, which are violent and unstable. Their love, however, is like the movement of celestial spheres (invisible, harmonious, eternal). The contrast between chaotic earthly love and divine, orderly love heightens the poem’s intellectual-emotional impact.
Thus, the tension in a poem is used to increase its worth or its intellectual-emotional impact; it deepens the meaning and worth of the words.
Tate distinguishes Good Poetry from Bad Poetry based on the tension inherent in the poems. Good poetry maintains maximum tension, harmonizing abstract thought and concrete imagery. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the monologue (“Life’s but a walking shadow…”) balances philosophical depth with vivid metaphor.
On the other hand, Bad poetry lacks tension or the balance between ‘Intension’ and ‘Extension.’. It is either too abstract, using pure extension, which makes it vague and didactic. Or, a poem can be too concrete, using pure intension and thus making the poem too obscure and sentimental. Tate criticizes Shelley’s “To a Skylark” for excessive emotionalism without intellectual rigor. Tate attacks “Platonic poetry” (poetry that prioritizes abstract ideas over concrete experience), calling it “angelic fallacy”—a flight from reality. He says that True poetry, or Good Poetry, must “stay on the ground”, rooted in human experience while reaching toward meaning.
Tate argues that irony (the coexistence of opposing meanings) and paradox (apparent contradictions that reveal deeper truth) are essential for poetic tension. For example, in Donne’s “The Canonization”, the line “For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love” blends irreverence and sacred devotion, creating tension.
While analyzing a poem, Tate suggests that an observer must look for three imminent questions: Where does the poem balance literal and metaphorical meaning?, Does it avoid excessive abstraction or sentimentality?; How does irony or paradox deepen its effect?
Tate’s method elevates close reading and helps explain why some poems feel richer than others. His ideas shaped New Criticism and remain useful for analyzing metaphysical poetry, modernism, and formalism. In an era of confessional poetry, political sloganeering, and Instagram verse, Tate’s demand for balanced tension challenges poets to marry thought and feeling, clarity and depth. A great example of Allen Tate's "tension" theory in action can be seen in his analysis of John Donne’s "The Canonization"—a poem that perfectly balances extension (literal meaning) and intension (metaphorical associations) to create a unified, richly layered work. On a literal level, "The Canonization" is a dramatic monologue where the speaker tells an interfering critic to stop judging his love and instead "canonize" (saint) him and his beloved for their devotion.
Donne compares secular love to sainthood, using terms like "reverend love," "legend," and "canonization," offering religious or sacred imagery. He creates Paradox; the lovers are "saints of love," though their passion is earthly, not divine. The speaker mocks societal norms while elevating his love to a sacred plane and thus creating Irony. The poem’s greatness (or Tension) comes from the stretched balance between the Literal plea ("For God’s sake hold your tongue") and the Metaphysical conceit (love as a holy vocation), which offers the Irony (mocking society’s judgment while demanding reverence). In the line "Call us what you will, we are made such by love", Extension is the defiant response to the critics of earthly love. The Intension is that Love is an alchemical force ("made such")—transforming the ordinary into the sacred. The line creates tension or a balance, merging defiance and transcendence.
Edgar Allan Poe’s "Annabel Lee" for leaning too heavily on intension (emotional excess) without enough extension (intellectual rigor). Lines like "the moon never beams without bringing me dreams / Of the beautiful Annabel Lee" rely on sentimentality without layered meaning. The poem’s tension collapses because it doesn’t stretch between opposing forces—it’s all feeling, no thought, thus making it one-dimensional.
The Man of Letters in the Modern World
Allen Tate’s "The Man of Letters in the Modern World" (1952) is a key essay in his later critical work, reflecting his concerns about the decline of tradition, the role of the intellectual, and the moral responsibility of literature in an increasingly secular and fragmented society. Tate argues that the "man of letters" (the serious writer or critic) faces a crisis in modernity because society no longer values tradition, hierarchy, or spiritual depth. Unlike past eras (e.g., the Renaissance or the Christian Middle Ages), modern culture is dominated by scientific materialism, mass democracy, and moral relativism, leaving the intellectual isolated. The true man of letters must resist specialization (becoming a mere technician of words) and instead engage with universal human questions. Tate critiques the idea that literature should serve social utility or political agendas (whether Marxism or liberal progressivism). He warns against journalistic writing and propaganda, which flatten language into mere instrumental communication rather than an exploration of truth. The man of letters must preserve the integrity of language against the distortions of ideology and mass culture. Tate suggests that the poet’s role is to preserve meaning in an age of spiritual emptiness.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the theories of literary criticism. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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