Sri Aurobindo's Poetic Theory

Book excerpt: Having applied the standards of modern critical theory, it may sound fruitless to account for biographical details of writer in interpreting his work as the biographical details either hold no importance or have nothing to do with the work of art in the sense that once a work of art is born, it looses its connection with the creator. Moreover, even in the moment of creation, the author remains detached from his creation. However, there are some exceptions to this. It has been observed that the biographical details are of immense help in partly making sense of what the concerned author has encoded. These details can be correlated to his writing. In the case of some writers, their life has a special relation with what they write, how they led their life, what inspiration they sought, what influences they received and imbibed in their personality, what experiences they lived with, and what events and occasions they confronted.