What would we think upon first hearing how Aristotle responded to Plato’s charge that poetry corrupts people by feeding the passions, harming even the good, especially the young? Aristotle’s response concerned with the idea of katharsis, purgation. First of all, we would feel deep sympathy and accord with him. We know that modern people in the 21st century are very attuned to the emotional effect and therapeutic function of poetry, literature, and art.In his book, The Meaning of Health, a collection of essays on existentialism, psychoanalysis, and religion, the philosophical theologian Paul Tillich said “We must replace ‘religion’ by ‘salvation’.” He added that the root of the Greek word ‘soteria,’ meaning salvation, is derived from ‘saos,’ the Latin word ‘salvatio’ from ‘salvus,’ and German word ‘Heiland’ from ‘heil,’ which is akin to the English word “healing.” What we might gather from this is that the most important thing in the realm of religion is basically and essentially “healing.”This essay starts from the idea that the therapeutic function of poetry and poetic drama is not so different from that of religion. Eliot’s later poetry and poetic drama, especially, are filled with healing messages in the religious dimension. This is the reason we expect his poetry and poetic drama to contribute greatly not only to the aesthetic pleasure of poetry but also to the healing of modern reader’s unbalanced emotions.

• 이준학(전남대학교명예교수) | Joon-Hak Rhee