The Waste Land
T.S. Eliot 1888 (St. Louis) – 1965 (London)
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 of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm’ aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were children, staying at the archduke’s,
My cousin’s, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened. He said, Marie,
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.
What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
About this poem
the poem is a landmark modernist that was first published in 1922. The poem is divided into five sections and draws upon a variety of sources, including classical mythology, the Bible, and contemporary popular culture. The poem explores the aftermath of World War I and the disillusionment and fragmentation of modern life. It portrays a world that is barren, devoid of meaning, and full of despair. The title "The Waste Land" is a reference to the barrenness of the land and the spiritual emptiness of modern society. The poem is characterized by its fragmented structure, which reflects the chaotic nature of the modern world. It employs a range of different voices, including quotations from literature and popular culture, and jumps between different time periods and locations. Overall, "The Waste Land" is a powerful critique of modern society and a meditation on the human condition. It is a complex and challenging work that continues to be studied and admired for its innovative style and incisive commentary on modernity. more »
Written on September 18, 1922
Submitted by 18nur12ky on March 18, 2023
Modified on April 26, 2023
- 1:18 min read
- 82 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | A BBBCBBDDXCEXDAFXFE XXFDXFGGEHHX |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,317 |
Words | 263 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 18, 12 |
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"The Waste Land" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/154317/the-waste-land>.
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