What did T.S. Eliot think about William Wordsworth?

T. S. Eliot had a complex and evolving view of William Wordsworth's poetry. Early in his career, he was critical of Wordsworth, dismissing him as a "nature poet" and finding his verse to be too simple and lacking in technical skill. However, as Eliot's own poetic style developed and he became more interested in metaphysical poetry, he came to appreciate Wordsworth's work more deeply. In his later years, Eliot praised Wordsworth's "integrity of style" and "unflinching realism," and he even went so far as to call him "the greatest English poet of the last two hundred years."

Here are some specific examples of Eliot's changing views on Wordsworth:

* In his early essay "Tradition and the Individual Talent" (1919), Eliot criticizes Wordsworth for his "deficient sense of tradition" and for his lack of "a historical sense." He argues that Wordsworth's poetry is too focused on the individual experience and fails to engage with the wider context of culture and history.

* In his later essay "What is a Classic?" (1945), Eliot takes a more positive view of Wordsworth. He praises Wordsworth's "integrity of style" and his ability to "communicate the deepest experiences of the human mind." Eliot also argues that Wordsworth's poetry is "classical" in its simplicity and its focus on "eternal human verities."

* In his final major critical work, "On Poetry and Poets" (1957), Eliot goes even further in his praise of Wordsworth. He calls Wordsworth "the greatest English poet of the last two hundred years" and argues that his work is "essential to any civilized person." Eliot also singles out Wordsworth's poem "Michael" for special praise, calling it "one of the greatest poems in the English language."

Overall, Eliot's evolving views on Wordsworth reflect his own changing attitudes towards poetry and criticism. As he moved away from his early emphasis on technical skill and historical context, he came to appreciate more fully the depth of Wordsworth's work and its enduring relevance to the human condition.