old unity They began to write by simply thinking Eliot explains In the seventeenth century a dissociation of sensibility set in from which we have never recovered This quote shows the big change Poets stopped joining mind and heart Their poems became colder and less lively Feelings were missing from much of their work Poetry was less close to real life Poetry Style Old poetry is deep and full It joins many human feelings and facts Later poetry follows rules more strictly It feels dry and distant at times Unification made poetry rich and lasting Eliot's Preference Eliot prefers the unified style He admires poets who mix thoughts and feelings He believes this makes poetry beautiful and natural He wants poets to return to this way In short Eliot shows the big gap in poetry Unification joins thought and emotion in strong poems Dissociation keeps them apart and weakens poetry Eliot's ideas continue to guide poets and students today