Critical Praise for Eliot Possessed

"... perfectly fascinating and entirely plausible," especially when considering the impact of Eliot scholarship on the evolution of literary influence in modernist poetry studies.

For many decades, modernist poetry studies overlooked FitzGerald's marvelous Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. It is particularly fascinating to explore Professor D'Ambrosio's lively and insightful examination of how that great Victorian poem significantly influenced T. S. Eliot throughout his body of work. Besides underscoring FitzGerald's literary importance, this book makes a substantial contribution to Eliot scholarship and deepens our understanding of literary influence within Modernist poetry.

D'Ambrosio unravels Eliot's 'long struggle' against the charm of FitzGerald: 'his first intense acceptance . . ., his enduring conflict with the poet and the poem, and at last his release from them.' This struggle is articulated within the context of Eliot scholarship, making it believable, important, and even exciting. It remains fascinating and relevant to contemporary discussions in literary influence and modernist poetry studies. D'Ambrosio's insights, paired with her sophistication, successfully sidestep the pitfalls of a standard study in 'influence.'

D’Ambrosio effectively illuminated a corner of fin de siècle American literary culture and the major poet who emerged from it, contributing significantly to Eliot scholarship and the broader field of modernist poetry studies in terms of literary influence.