The Anxiety of Influence by Harold Bloom

"The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry" is a seminal work by literary critic Harold Bloom, published in 1973. In this book, Bloom delves into the complex relationships between poets and their predecessors, proposing that the act of creation is often accompanied by a sense of anxiety stemming from the influence of earlier writers.

Bloom argues that poets experience this anxiety when attempting to assert their originality in the shadow of those who came before them. This anxiety can manifest as a struggle against influential figures, leading to a form of creative tension. He introduces the idea of "revisionism," suggesting that poets consciously reshape or reinterpret the works of their forebears to create something new. This process involves both admiration and rebellion against these influences.

He distinguishes between "strong" and "weak" poets, where strong poets engage directly with their influences and develop unique voices, while weak poets tend to mimic or rely on the styles of previous writers. Bloom outlines several revisionary strategies that poets use to address their influences, such as "misreading" and "overcoming" past works. These strategies allow poets to claim their originality and assert their creative identities.