'The Waste Land' by Thomas Stearns Eliot

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a thinking activity given by Dilip Barad Sir from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. Check out Dilip Barad sir's Blog Site (Click here) for more information and knowledge about For 'The Waste Land' by Thomas Stearns Eliot and other works and writers. In this blog I like to tell something about 'The Waste Land' as per my understanding and also some answers of points to ponder from the blog of 'The Waste Land' by Dilip Barad Sir (Click here). 

 ‘Human kind cannot bear very much reality’.

- Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot

 

T. S. ELIOT:-

Thomas Stearns Eliot also known as T.S. Eliot. He was born on September 26, 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. and died on January 4, 1965, in London, England. He was an American-English poet, playwright, literary critic, and editor. He was a leader of the Modernist movement in poetry in such works as The Waste Land (1922) and Four Quartets (1943).(Tate)

NOTABLE WORKS:-

• Ash Wednesday
• Burnt Norton
• East Coker
• Little Gidding
• Murder in the Cathedral
• Notes Towards the Definition of Culture
• Prufrock and Other Observations
• Sweeney Agonistes
• The Confidential Clerk
• The Dry Salvages
• The Elder Statesman
• The Family Reunion
• Four Quartets
• The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
• The Metaphysical Poets
• The Sacred Wood
• The Waste Land
• Tradition and the Individual Talent

"In my beginning is my end"

- Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot

From Milton which is in Massachusetts, he entered Harvard in 1906; he received a B.A. in 1909. He was influenced by  George Santayana (a Philosopher and Poet) and Irving Babbitt (Critic). He has read widely from childhood and he is interested most in philosophy. From Babbitt he derived an anti-Romantic attitude.(Tate)

'THE WASTE LAND':-

Book:- 'The Waste Land'

Writer:- T.S. Eliot 

Published:- December, 1922

Genre:- Poem, Morden Epic 

Parts:- 5 

1. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD
2. A GAME OF CHESS
3. THE FIRE SERMON
4. DEATH BY WATER
5. WHAT THE THUNDER SAID

This poem by Eliot is considered the most famous and Important poem of the 20th century. 

HERE IS A BRIEF POINTS ABOUT ALL FIVE PARTS:-

Poem starts with these lines:-

Nam Sibyllam quidem Cumis ego ipse oculis meis

vidi in ampulla pendere, et cum illi pueri dicerent:

Sibylla ti thelehyis; respondebat illa: apothanein thelo. 

In English - "I saw with my own eyes the Sibyl at Cumae hanging in a jar / cage, and when the boys said to her, Sibyl, what do you want? she replied "I want to die."

So, as we can see, the poem started with the Myth of Sibyl.

1:- THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD:-

April is the cruelest month. This is the most famous line from 'The Waste Land' and also the starting line of the The poem and first part. Here one can find how contradictorily he presents April, cause in 'Canterbury Tales' Geoffrey Chaucer described April as fruitful and blossom month. 

Next he described other seasons like winter, summer rain and others and connected with Spiritual Degradation and Sexual Perversion.

Then the poem's character name Marie came and talked with the person (not referring to his/her name). Then he (Tiresias) talks about A heap of broken images, red rock, dry stone and next reference is a handful of dust. 

Then there is a scene which describes the Myth of Tristan and Isolde (German Opera – Richard Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde). "You gave me hyacinths" - this line is said by Isolde which includes the Myth of Hyacinths and Apollo. 

Then there is the entry of the next Character named Madame Sosostris and she is a fortune teller. Then she talked about cards and said there are no cards of Hanged Man. Then the Character of Belladonna enters. 

Next is a reference to Unreal City. Next Character enters named Stetson who was a friend of Tiresias, and they both talked a bit. And this part ends with this line:- "You! hypocrite lecteur! - mon semblable, - mon frere!" In English, you hypoirte reader, my fellowman, my brother – this includes one and all – the poet and the reader.

2:- A GAME OF CHESS:-

This part of 'The Waste Land' starts with Sexual Perversion. Like 'The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne'. So many references about sexual Perversion act and than the next scene upon the sylvan scene which referenced Milton’s garden of eden – Satan views from outside. Reference about nightingale.

This Dialogues; "My nerves are bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with me.

"Speak to me. Why do you never speak. Speak.

"What are you thinking of? What thinking? What?

"I never know what you are thinking. Think."

I think we are in rats' alley

Where the dead men lost their bones. 

"What is that noise?"

The wind under the door.

"What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?"

Nothing again nothing. 

This references meaningless conversation. 

Next scene is about friends sitting in a coffee shop and talked with each other and there the next Character appears named Lil. They talked about what happened and Lil has affair with other guy even though she is married with someone else - storyline like Rustam movie - and than she told him that his husband is in army and now he is returning back. So, with the ending of this scene here ends second part of 'The Waste Land'.

3:- THE FIRE SERMON:-

This part has direct refrence of Buddhism - Buddha’s sermon and Sermon on the Mount. The thoughts he gave us about fire Sermon described in this part. And talk about river Thames. This part has a reference of typist and than here comes our in a way protagonist Tiresias. Than he described the pain of three daughters of Thames. 

4:- DEATH BY WATER:-

This is a shortest part of 'The Waste Land' with lines like:-

Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,

Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell

And the profit and loss.

A current under sea

Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell

He passed the stages of his age and youth

Entering the whirlpool.

Gentile or Jew

O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, 

Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

5:- WHAT THE THUNDER SAID:-

The reference one can find with the title of the fifth part from Upanishad – Prajapati spoke in thunder akashwani. This part has a reference of three Da. 

• DA - Datta
• DA - Dayadhvam
• DA - Damyata

Poem ends with this words from Upnishad. Shantih Shantih Shantih which means peace that passes understanding.

For worksheet on 'The Waste Land' visit this link Click here.

THESE ARE SOME POINTS IN POINTS TO PONDER:-

💫What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? April (re-birth) is the cruellest month you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzche's views? or Has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling mytho-historical answer to the contemporary malaise?

🌷So, first as I mentioned who is T.S. Eliot and about his poem 'The Waste Land'. Now let's look into Nietzche's information. 

Friedrich Nietzsche was German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture, who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. His attempts to unmask the motives that underlie traditional Western religion, morality, and aphilosophy deeply affected generations of theologians, philosophers, psychologists, poets, novelists, and playwrights. (Magnus)

According to Bernd Magnus, he was a philosopher, critic and scholar who was also known for his point of view to criticize other writers, philosophers and Poets. 

I find it a bit of a problem to call any work regressive and backward looking only because it has references from old literature and ideas. 

WHAT IS UBERMENSCH?:-

According to Vocabulary.com UBERMENSCH; This German word, more accurately spelled Übermensch, literally means "overman" and was coined in 1883 by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The Ubermensch was meant to be an ideal future human and an ultimate goal for humanity. When the concept was translated into English, it was first called "Beyond-Man" and later "Superman." In fact, the familiar comic book hero Superman (who was originally a villain) was directly inspired by Nietzsche's Ubermensch.

In short, people who are looking forward to the future are called UBERMENSCH. And also they give solutions for something. 

While he considers 'The Waste Land' as just a work cause it doesn't give any kind of solutions to life. 

Eliot's sources to make 'The Waste Land' is unique and interesting, of course it has different clouds that one can't connect easily until they didn't see from the point of view of 'Tiresias' or without footnotes, even sometimes some points are difficult to understand with foot notes. Another point of you is from his autobiographical way to see 'The Waste Land' but that also seems inappropriate. 

He is trying to find answers of contemporary malaise in Upanishad, Buddhism and Christianity. So? What problem one can have with that. At least he tried to find or he didn't try to find. Cause in this era of absurdity, comedy of Menace and all he is trying to connect and bring all literature from most country and describe that not in this country but in every countries they are facing the same situations. 

Sometimes Upnishad, Buddhism and Christianity helpful to find not contemporary problems only but find any kind and any time of answer. So, I can't agree with Nietzsche's point of view about 'The Waste Land' but he also has freedom to give his views and also we respect his views too. 

To understand 'The Waste Land' as Pandemic Poem watch this video available on YouTube by Dilip Barad Sir.

WORKS CITED:-

🎧Magnus, Bernd. "Friedrich Nietzsche". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Oct. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Nietzsche.

🎧Tate, Allen , Gardner, Helen and Davies, Hugh Alistair. "T.S. Eliot". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/T-S-Eliot.

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know☺️.

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