Eliot's Use Of Criticism In The Hippopotamus By T. S. Eliot

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Being a poet is not an easy skill set and involves a great deal of creativity for a writer to generate a meaningful poem. T.S. Eliot wrote numerous poems and also “achieved eminence as an essayist writing on literary theory and criticism, social, philosophical, and theological issues” (Eliot iii). In one of his poems, The Hippopotamus, T.S. Eliot critiques the Christian doctrine and its believers. Eliot mocks religion in this poem through the use of literary devices such as figurative language, imagery, and sound.
Figurative language is used constantly throughout this poem and gives it a profound meaning. The hippopotamus is used as a metaphor to represent the Church and human beings. Stanza three attacks the Church and its believers for being weak:
The hippo 's feeble steps may err
In compassing material ends,
While the True Church need never stir
To gather in its dividends. (9-12)
The believers are being classified as “feeble” (9) because they lack courage and strength for questioning the Church. The Church “need never stir” (11) because it will always have believers and generate its “dividends” (12). Moreover, in stanza five, Eliot uses juxtaposition to compare the Church with the hippo: At …show more content…

Eliot’s The Hippopotamus is a satirical view on Christianity. Eliot utilizes figurative language, imagery and sound to enhance the poem. The message of the poem is that one doesn’t need an organized religion to attain a connection with God or heaven. Eliot has a bitter approach towards the Church and its leaders. Thus, he compares a hippopotamus with the Church to show that an animal can reach heaven whereas members of the Church fail to do so. By using this metaphor of the hippo, Eliot is able to voice and disguise his opinion. The animal-like person is able to attain salvation without organized religion or the Church. To conclude, this poem allows one to unfold and witness the deceitful system of the Church that exists, only to be driven by “dividends”

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