riting of the theme is not. Eliot did what few writers are ever able to, namely, publishing a piece that was radically different from anything the world had ever seen. Despite initial criticism, people soon saw the work as more than a failure; they began to see it as the beginning of a new poetic era.Eliot’s triumph proves once and for all that one never knows how the public will respond to a piece of writing. He even wrote, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” (1.30). Against any fears he might have had when it was published, the poem was a success.Fear Less, Write MoreIf T. S. Eliot could overcome his fears, so too can today’s creative writers. Writers must be ever vigilant in their fight against their fears. To defeat any adversary, however, it is imperative that one understands its nature.The most common fear amongst writers is the fear of public response. Often times a writer expresses very personal feelings in his or her works, and it becomes difficult to allow others to scrutinize them. Relationships and love affairs are sometimes taken straight out of an author’s life, and to have a third-party tear it apart is very painful. All people want to be loved and accepted. In putting forth new and wild ideas, writers jeopardize that acceptance; they believe they must very carefully weight the consequences of publication with the benefits. Students have it worst off, in this regard; they have no choice but to write things that may not be accepted. Many of them are forced to write creative pieces that showcase their talents, and in doing so, they often put forth ideas that are not popular, especially amongst older generations. To the student, this is much like stripping them naked and spreading them out upon a table for everyone to look at. The student feels exposed, always concerned that someone will criticize one part or another (Hamel). Even if this is not the case, to the student, i...
