Analysis Of Eliot s Poem The Waste Land - 1401 Words

Thomas Stearns Eliot, an American scholar, sophisticated, diverse, and also poetic genius claimed by both the United States and England, is the twentieth century s touchstone author. Thomas had a problem with religion, as noted by his poem â€Å"Journey of the Magi,† and eventually converted from Anglicanism (â€Å"T. S. Eliot: His Religion, His Poetry, His Roles†). First published in 1922, T.S. Eliot s poem The Waste Land is a major work of modern literature. His poem is written in the aftermath of the First World War, and it describes the disorganization and collapse of the society. One major theme that Eliot addresses in details is the role of technology and industrialization in the downfall of the Western civilization. Eliot uses The Waste Land to draw the connections between the mechanization and technological advancement in his everyday life, and also the degradation of human dignity. Eliot s poems followed the Symbolist Movement in Literature. The basic structure of the poem exemplifies the notion that technology has contributed to his life and fragmentation of society. Eliot s poem is indicative of his attitude towards his contemporary society. His wife also plays a part in helping with his poem The Waste Land. He received a great deal of guidance from Ezra Pound. Pound encouraged him to cut large sections of the planned works for his poems, and to also break up the rhyme scheme. A long work divided into five sections, The Waste Land takes on the degraded mess thatShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot1571 Words   |  7 Pagesalienated (post)modern counterpart. The message this phrase bears, resonates throughout the entire poem: from its title, â€Å"The Waste Land†, to its final mantra â€Å"Shantih shantih shantih†. All words, phrases and sentences (or just simply images) which make up this poem seem to, in Levi-Strauss’ words, â€Å"be a valeur symbolique zero [and the signifier] can take on any value required †, meaning that the images Eliot uses do not have one fixed signification and consequently conjure up thought-provoking ideasRead More Waste Land Essay: Journey Through The Waste Land1542 Words   |  7 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   T. S. Eliot drafted The Waste Land during a trip to Lausanne, Switzerland to consult a psychologist for what he described as mild case of nerves. He sent the manuscr ipt to Ezra Pound for editing assistance. Between them the draft was extensively edited and published in 1922. As a modernist poet, Eliot struggled to remove the voice of the author from his work but the work is still a reflection of the author’s interpretation. He paints the picture as he sees it for the readers to view and interpretRead MoreAnalysis of the Symbolic Journey in Weirs Way Back and Eliots Waste Land963 Words   |  4 PagesAn Analysis of the Symbolic Journey in Weirs Way Back and Eliots Waste Land Aside from the obvious symbols of water and fire, birth and purification, in T. S. Eliots The Waste Land, there is the overall symbol of journey first implied in the opening stanza: Marie, hold on tight. And down we went. Peter Weirs film The Way Back may also be described as a work at the center of which is a symbolic journey. While Weirs film recounts the survival of a group of escapees from the Soviet GulagRead MoreEssay about Modernism in T.s. Eliotss the Wasteland885 Words   |  4 Pagescontaining complex, and often contradictory, allusions, multiple points of view and other poetic devices that broke from the forms in Victorian and Romantic writing, as can be seen in T.S. Eliots The Waste Land (Levanson). The varied perspectives or lack of a central, continuous speaker uproots The Waste Land from previous forms of poetry; however, it is not simply for the sake of being avant-garde, but to espouse the modernist philosophy, which posits the absence of an Absolute and requires the interpretationRead MoreThe Waste Land by T. S. Eliot2649 Words   |  11 Pages A wasteland [weyst-land] is defined as: land that is uncultivated or barren; an area that is devastated as by flood, storm, or war; something as a period of history, phase of existence, or locality that is spiritually, or intellectually barren; one of the most important poems of the twentieth century (Dictionary.com). The Waste Land, by T.S. Eliot, has puzzled its audience and been tossed aside by the general population since 1922, when the poem was published. To a reader not committed to delvingRead MoreAnalysis Of. Eliot s The Four Quartets And `` The Waste Land ``1784 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction to T.S Eliot T.S. Eliot wrote poems that communicated his antagonistic perspectives of life, mankind, and his general surroundings by exemplifying and escalating particular angles and analogies in his written work. T.S. Eliot was born in 1888 and lived during early 1900 s and was a part of Modernist Period. He lived throughout two world wars and struggled with poverty and oppression which impacted his writings. Eliot wrote The Four Quartets and The Waste Land which are importantRead MoreThe Waste Land By Eliot1870 Words   |  8 PagesThe Waste Land, less clear that what we hear is the voice of someone.’ Discuss. In this essay, I am going to argue that in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, we do hear many voices, but they are not the voice of an identifiable person, and that is entirely clear. Furthermore, it is not problematic that the reader is unable to identify a single speaker, as the distance that is created between the poem and the reader is a stylistic choice made by the poet. One of the sole functions of The Waste Land isRead MoreEliot s The Waste Land1798 Words   |  8 PagesEliot’s â€Å"The Waste Land† was written to seek order in a disturbed world. Eliot’s publication caused a significant impact on modern society and the literary world. Initially, the poem seems to be incoherent and fragmented; after readers have observed his poem, they are able to recognize Eliot’s brilliantly unique and nontraditional use of techniques. His unconventional style, graphic imagery, and sheer inconsistency of the poem has greatly mystified and fascinated readers. While Eliot was writing â€Å"TheRead MoreEssay on Modernism and New Criticism2997 Words   |  12 Pages since the definition of modernism often seems to constitute anything from being â€Å"new and common† to â€Å"new and uncommon† (Barzun). This term seems to be able to stretch from the 1500’s to present; but for the sake of this essay the Modernist Era in question is that from the early twentieth century (circa 1910-1940’s). Out of, and during, this era the critical theory named New Criticism came into play. Although, nowadays, the use of New Criticism is unpopular, it is essential to use when definingRead MoreT.S. Eliot s The Fire Sermon - a Poem Analysis Focusing on the Elements of Nature5145 Words   |  21 PagesT.S. Eliot The Fire Sermon An analysis of the poem focusing on the elements of nature Joachim TRAUN 0004165 301/341 It is just a piece of rhythmical grumbling (T.S. Eliot on The Waste Land) Table of contents page 1. Introduction 4 2. T.S. Eliot- a brief biography 4 3. The fire sermon 5 3.1 Structure 6 3.2 Intertextuality 6 3.3 Interpretation 8 3.3.1 Water 8 3.3.2 City 11 3.3.3 Fusion 13 4. Conclusion 14 Bibliography 1. Introduction There are not many poems