Analysis of The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot

Analysis of The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot

Q5 "Much of what Eliot writes about is harsh and bleak, but he writes about it in a way that is often beautiful". Comment fully on both parts of this assertion.

Most first time readers of Eliot's work would, probably, agree that his poems read as bleak and depressing. They would also say that many of his poems portray society as having a terminal illness, but when we look deeper you can see that amid the anguish not all is lost and there is hope to be found among the ruins. "The Wasteland", is an amalgamation of fragmented images that are disturbing and, yet, at times beautifully poetic. The juxtaposition of the ugly landscape and the lyricism with which it is conveyed lend the poem an authenticity and originality. 'In this decayed hole among the mountains In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing…' The very fact that decay can be seen bathed in romantic moonlight and serenaded by singing grass reinforces the fact that out of something so desolate, something good can be seen or created. The narrator, though despondent with the degeneration of society, seems to have a genuine belief that there is good inside all men and if they could create as much as they destroyed the world could be a better place and not the barren wasteland that is before us now. This, I believe, is why he chooses to convey the desolation in this lyrical fashion. The fragmentary form of the poem reflects the fragmentary nature of man. Eliot has achieved this affect by applying various techniques. One example of this is how he uses time as a way of looking at the past, mixing modernity with the historic. In most cases the result is a mixture of regret with a strong desire to return to the past. ...

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...g of a moment's of surrender'. Dayadhvam, means sympathise and can be linked to the idea of compromise and communication which has been lacking. Damyata means to control and is linked to the idea of change. This stanza closes with the lyrical beauty of the plea to the heart 'The sea was calm, your heart would have responded'. This plea is linked to the daring of a moment's surrender. The final stanza that draws the poem to a close is an amalgamation of images from all cultures and reinforces the universal quality of the poem. The final line 'Shantih…' is the peace that passes are understanding.

To conclude, the title 'The Wasteland', is suggestive of a barren and featureless desert, though paradoxically, it is a jungle of allusions. Although the overtone appears bleak, all is not lost and there is hope to be found amongst the lines of lyrical beauty.