Topic : The Waste Land
The Waste Land is a notable literary work by T. S. Eliot. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Waste Land.
Main text
‘Nam Sibyllam quidem Cumis ego ipse oculis meis vidi in ampulla pendere, et cum illi pueri dicerent: Σίβυλλα τί θέλεις; respondebat illa: άποθανεîν θέλω.’
For Ezra Pound
il miglior fabbro.
I. The Burial of the Dead
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower [...]
Key info
The Waste Land is a remarkable modernist poem by Thomas Stearns Eliot. Look at the key facts of the poem to get a quick idea.
- Original Title: He Do the Police in Different Voices
- Writer: Thomas Stearns Eliot OM (26 September 1888 – 4 January 1965)
- Written Date: Autumn 1921
- Publication Date: October 1922
Summary
The term 'wasteland' refers to the symbolic representation of modern civilization's spiritual and social degradation. The poem contains the post-World War I world, full of desolation, fragmentation, and barrenness. Eliot uses various mythologies, literary allusions, and historical allusions to draw a modern, unfertile society. The wasteland is a metaphor for a society that is out of its purpose and becomes disconnected from the past. It draws a world that has lost its connection and understanding among its people. Overall, the poem serves the ill features of the modern 20th century and its people.
Notes
- The Theme of Salvation in The Waste LandWrite a note on the theme of salvation as you find in The Waste Land. Or, Do you find any moral meaning in The Waste Land? Or, What prospect of salvation does Eliot offer in[Expand...]
- Eliot's use of Symbolism in The Waste LandWhat symbols are used by Eliot in the poem 'The Waste Land'? Or, Comment on Eliot's use of symbolism in The Waste Land. Or, Show how The Waste Land is a fabric of myth and[Expand...]
- Eliot's use of myth and legend in The Waste LandHow does Eliot make a link between the past and the present in The Waste Land? Or, Comment on T. S. Eliot's use of myth in The Waste Land. Or, How does T. S. Eliot[Expand...]