Allen Tate – Tension in Poetry
Allen Tate, one of the central figures of New Criticism, argues in his essay Tension in Poetry that the true meaning of a poem emerges from the balance between its literal (denotative) and figurative (connotative) meanings. He calls this balance “tension.” For Tate, tension is what gives a poem unity, depth, and emotional power.
What Is “Tension”?
According to Tate, tension is the total meaning of a poem produced by the interaction of:
- denotation – the literal, dictionary meaning of words
- connotation – the emotional, symbolic, and suggestive meaning
A poem becomes powerful when these two levels work together in dynamic harmony.
Why Tension Is Essential to Poetry
Tate says poetry is not just a collection of ideas, nor a set of emotions. It is the fusion of:
- thought
- emotion
- image
- sound
- symbol
This fusion produces a kind of structured energy—tension—that gives the poem its unique life.
Example Tate Uses
Tate uses Herbert Read’s lines:
“A sudden blow: the great wings beating still Above the staggering girl…”
Here:
- the literal meaning describes a swan attack
- the figurative meaning suggests violence, passion, brutality, transformation
The poem’s tension arises from these co-existing meanings.
How Tension Creates Poetic Structure
For Tate, a poem is not a simple message but a complex structure. Tension binds this structure together through:
- images
- symbols
- sound patterns
- metaphors
- contrasts
The poem gains unity not by removing contradictions, but by balancing them.
Irony + Paradox + Symbol = Tension
Tate borrows from fellow New Critics (like Brooks) and argues that tension arises from:
- irony – contrast between appearance and reality
- paradox – seeming contradictions that reveal deeper truths
- symbolism – layered meanings packed into images
When these operate together, the poem becomes structurally unified.
Denotation vs. Connotation
Denotation
The literal, factual meaning of words.
Connotation
The emotional, suggestive, cultural associations of words.
Tate says poetry depends on both. Too much denotation → the poem becomes flat. Too much connotation → the poem becomes vague. Balance = tension.
Poetry as a “Whole Experience”
Tate insists that poetry is not a statement of an idea, but an experience. The reader feels the poem’s tension in:
- sounds (rhythm, rhyme)
- images (visual power)
- emotions
- intellectual arguments
All of this together forms the total meaning.
Critical Significance
- establishes poetry as a structural and symbolic art
- supports New Critical close reading
- rejects paraphrasing and moral interpretation
- emphasizes the poem as an organic whole
- provides a scientific method for evaluating poetic quality
Quick Revision Table
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tension | Total meaning created by interaction of literal and figurative meanings |
| Denotation | Literal meaning |
| Connotation | Emotional and symbolic meaning |
| Irony | Contrast of levels of meaning |
| Paradox | Apparent contradictions revealing truth |
| Symbol | Image carrying multiple meanings |
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Critic | Allen Tate |
| Essay | Tension in Poetry |
| Approach | New Criticism, structural analysis |
| Main Contribution | Tension as the principle of poetic meaning |
| Focus | Unity of literal and figurative meaning |
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