T.S. Eliot and Modernism

TS Eliot writes in such a style that separates him even from other modernists. He is very vague as to his actual meaning, and “The Waste Land” is very hard to understand. There are several different parts, each discussing something different, but having the same somber quality. His tone throughout is melancholy and somewhat empty feeling. While other modernists are openly sardonic and outspoken, Eliot has a mellow tone, but there is bitterness boiling under the surface of each part.

He is like other modernists in that “The Waste Land” is a direct observation of society, but Eliot gives his view in a different way. For example, in “A Game of Chess,” he first discusses a woman who I thought was discouraged- she had a lot of wealth, but there was a man making her unhappy. Eliot then gives a scenario between two women, in which the one is telling the other to fix herself up before the husband returns or he won’t want her. Also, it seems like the woman was trying to hide something from her husband, and the other one was making her feel guilty.

Through all of “The Waste Land”, Eliot seems to be basing his ideas on the modernist concept that society has lost its sense of morality and spirituality. He discusses prostitutes, empty marriages/relationships, death, and destitution caused by a 'drought". However, almost all of his “stories” or points are described by allusions to other occurrences and situations. He uses many biblical and mythological references.

“The Fire Sermon” begins with some kind of bittersweet song, intermixing unpleasant aspects with the softer points. It then moves to the observations of a young couple by an old blind man, Tiresias. He describes how they are in an empty sexually based relationship, which is in accordance to the general theme of waning morality that Eliot employs.

Eliot’s poetry, at least in “The Waste Land”, is exceedingly hard to understand. He is clearly a modernist in that he gives a frank, somewhat blunt observation of society, but he writes it in such a way that the reader has to read it over and over in order to just get the point. He uses many allusions, and it seems that throughout the poem, the anticipation of rain is a common theme. He talks about a dry and desolate world, and leaves the reader still waiting for the coming rain when he ends the poem. I think that the rain is supposed to symbolize some sort of necessary change that Eliot believes needs to take place to transform the “dry” world. Especially in the end on page 1440, he focuses on the desolation and arid land, saying, “Her is no water but only rock/rock and no water and the sandy road…seat is dry and feet are in the sand/ if there were only water against the rock.” This seems to be his final desperate cry for help.