Art Quote by T. S. Eliot
“The only way of expressing emotion in the form of art is by finding an "objective correlative"; in other words, a set of objects, a situation, a chain of events which shall be the formula for that particular emotion; such that when the external facts, which must terminate in sensory experience, are given, the emotion is immediately evoked.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Metaphysical Poets", 1921
Art evokes emotion by linking sensory details to a specific feeling, creating an objective correlative that triggers the intended response.
In simple terms: Use concrete images to convey feelings.
Key Takeaway
Craft scenes that embody the emotion you want to express.
Themes
art
emotion
technique
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
literary
educational
When to use this quote
- writing
- visual arts
- theatre
- therapy
Key Concepts
objective correlative
symbolic representation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you discover natural correlatives?
- When does symbolism become cliché?
A Different Perspective
Finding a perfect correlative can be challenging and may feel forced.
![“the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. [He] falls in love or reads Spinoza, and these two experiences have nothing to do with each other, or with the noise of the typewriter, or the smell of cooking; in the mind of the poet these experiences are always forming new wholes” quote by T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/18e/t-s-eliot-633_art_the-ordinary-man-s-experience-is-chaotic_93688.jpg)
