"There is probably nothing wrong with art for art's sake if we take the phrase seriously, and not take it to mean the kind of poetry written in England forty years ago"

Allen Tate's quote offers a review of the concept "art for art's sake", an idea that art's main worth depends on its presence and visual qualities, rather than in any political, ethical, or utilitarian function. Tate recommends that this idea isn't inherently flawed if taken seriously. Nevertheless, he indicates that the application of this idea often misses the mark, especially criticizing the method it manifested in English poetry four years prior to his writing.

Tate invites us to reconsider how we engage with the phrase "art for art's sake". The term often suggests a disconnection from the more comprehensive social, political, or ethical contexts, focusing rather on charm and form. To Tate, this isn't a problem in theory. If genuinely pursued, such art might be extensive and expressive, focusing on expedition of the human condition through aesthetics.

However, Tate takes issue with the method this approach was analyzed and enacted in English poetry of a previous generation. This poetry, he implies, maybe misconstrued or misrepresented the foundational concept of "art for art's sake". Instead of attaining authentic art as its own end, it may have produced work that was shallow or disconnected from any meaningful context. Here, Tate hints that the poetry lacked sincerity or depth, potentially focusing exceedingly on method while overlooking the emotional or intellectual engagement that real art ought to influence.

Through his critique, Tate challenges artists and poets to genuinely embrace the ethos of "art for art's sake" instead of paying lip service to it. This includes producing art that, while anchored in visual concepts, does not lose sight of its prospective to provoke idea, feeling, and authentic human connection. He highlights the responsibility of the artist to tread attentively in between type and compound to avoid the mistakes of the past and really honor the potential of art as an autonomous entity.