Hello, I am Himanshi Parmar. Here i am writing blog on general understanding of The Waste land by T. S. Eliot. And about some of the important questions related this like Themes, critical analysis etc. The blog i am writing as a part of thinking activity.
The waste land is a well known poem of 20th century, written by T.S.Eliot. The poem published in 1922. And written in 434 lines. The poem includes many Greek, Christian, Hindu myths. Along with many Allusions. If we read, we find that the poem is very complex to understand and also written in very long form.
About the poem :-
The waste land, is represente a life of London in aftermath of the first world war. And it gives imagery of various landscapes including oceans, deserts, forest, and bustling metropolis. The entire poem is divided into five sections,
1) The Burial of the Dead
2)A Game of Chess
3) The Fire Sermon
4) Death by water
5) What the Thunder Said
Let me here discuss all in short.
1) The Burial of the Dead :-
The poem is start with the pessimistic voice, "April is the cruellest month". And speaker talks about how April/spring is awful time and speaker recalls old memories and unfulfilled desires. Then the poem introduce a woman Marie. And shift into childhood memories of her. Then suddenly, it is a description of the room of madame Sosostris, who read fortune. And then suddenly it turns into a crowd of people, flowing over London bridge. Moving like zombies.
2) A Game of Chess :-
In this part, we find setting of glittery room of a lavish woman, and there we find a image of "The change of Philomel", related with Greek mythology, in which Philomel was raped by King Tereue and later she change into the nightingale. This section ends When two women chatting, during the closing time at the bar.
3) The fire Sermon :-
The section opens when speaker, feeling bad, and thinking about merciful world. Here in this section, we come to know about the name of speaker, the name of him is Tiresias, the character is taken from myth . Who is a blind prophet. Who turned into a woman for seven years by the curse of goddess Hera.
4) Death of Water :-
This scene introduce a dead sailor named Phlebas decays at the bottom of the ocean. And it give us such kind of message of mortality.
5) What the Thunder said :-
In this part, we see two persons are walking and suddenly they realise that someone is looking behind, but when they look behind, the shadow disappears. Then we suddenly see thunder and its noise seems to say three words : DATTA, DAYADHVAM, DAMYATA. Which is a command to human, devil and god, command of , GIVE, SYMPATHIZE, CONTROL. At last poem ends with the words, Shati, shanti, Shanti.
1) What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? Do 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?
Eliot has achieved universality of thoughts by recalling mytho - Historical answer to the contemporary malaise. If we see, we find that The Wast land is ultimate answer of our present day's problem. The waste land is giving the vision of some problems like 1) sexual perversion, 2) loss of faith and moral value, 3) lack of human relationship, 4) Commercialization of life, 5) mental tension, 6) Politics and War. Let me discuss it in point.
1) sexual perversion :-
In The Waste land, Eliot express decay in the society, decay of sexual perversion, lust of sexuality. He explain it by several examples. He write about German princess in the first part, who has many sex relationships with many man. And this how she hold her position as queen. This is the parallel to the love affair of queen Elizabeth. Eliot also make satire on high society and lust of them for sex. Eliot mention it in the Career of the lady of situation. In second part, Eliot mention about the story of lil, who is representing lower class. And the love relationship between typist girl and her boyfriend. We also see a myth of Philomel - la - barbarous king Terues. Who seduce sister of her queen and then the lady turned into the nightingale. Also we can interpret that, The Fire Sermon, which Eliot mentioned is about the lust of sex. In Which the entire Europe is burning.
"To Carthage then I came
Burning burning burning burning."
2) loss of faith and morality :-
Eliot here satarize the modern generation, because he thinks that, faith is lost with the time. In ancient time, people inspire by faith only.they deeply believe in Christianity, their character, moral values, their kindness is regarded as more important than money and success. But now money is overpowered everything among this, we can say people believe in just one God, that is the "money". Prayer, church are all become just part of routine. People become greedy and they lost their kindness. Compassion are no longer part of life. And this change by modernization, Eliot try to portray in the poem. When we read the poem, we find that, Eliot also want to give message of being humble and message of faith.
3) Lack of human relationship :-
Eliot also make us aware about the change in human relations. In the last section poet mentions that we are like Coriolanus and embodiment of selfishness. And each one is imprisoned in his own self. And become self-centred and lost the key of brotherhood and compassion, sympathy towards others. Also in ancient time we find that people carry some loyalty towards nation also.but in contemporary time all are become just self centred and look for their own benifit by doing someone's bad also. For this poet wrote that,
"We think of the key, each In his prison,
Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison".
4) Mental tension :-
In a second section, named A Game of Chess. We find a problem of sex perversion. And we find that, high society ladies are tired and frustrated by their boring life and has become extremely neurotic. Their lovers are also suffer by similar problem. Which we see in this lines,
"I think we are in rat's aley
Where the dead men lost their bones."
Which reflects the present situation, where each one is suffering by mental illness and worry and anxiety of earning, problem of relations, of job, of health, of households and many more. We also find all this things In another section of poem, where Lil has become hopeless and lost her intrest in life. And her abortion ruined her health and she feel physically and mentally broken and extremely tired. Which reflects the situation of present time women again.
2) Prior to the speech, Gustaf Hellström of the Swedish Academy made these remarks:
What are your views regarding these comments? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' lead us to happy and satisfied life? or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'?
Yes, it is true that giving free vent to the repressed primitive instinct lead us to happy and satisfied life. But sometimes our behaviour harm others,and it gives us happiness, similarly someone eles behaviour give them happiness but hurt us.so if we think this statement is true but it depends on individual. Also some times giving primitive instinct lead the world towards anarchy. But as Eliot told us to follow cultural tradition and it lead us to eternal happiness, is seems quite true.because by believing some morality, we get lessons of comparison, pity. Which develops understanding among the people and which can create peaceful life and peaceful land to live for all. So somewhere Eliot's point is better than Freud.
3) Write about allusions to the Indian thoughts in 'The Waste Land'. (Where, How and Why are the Indian thoughts referred?)
When I read the poem, I found many Indian references in this, some of them I have mention below.
1) The Fire Sermon :-
Third section of the poem is entitled as "The Fire Sermon", which is directly taken from the Buddha's sermon. A sacred book of buddhism named Adittapariyaya sutta. And in which he discussed about the liberation from the pain and suffering. Eliot use fire as a metaphor. Which reflects the fire of sexual
perversion in the world.
2) refrence of Himalaya and river Ganga :-
Eliot also give refrence of Ganga and Himalaya. Ganga symbolise purification and himaalay as peacefulness of mind and spirituality. India and its rivers and mountains are referred in very positive light by Eliot. As we see In the lines of poem.
Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves,
Waited for rain, while the black clouds,
Gathered far distant, over Himavant.
The jungle crouched, humped in silence,
Then spoke the thunder.
Three Da :-
Then in the last section we find the refrence of thunder which is related to indian myth. Which is in Brihadaranyka Upnishad. Bramha is consider as a Prajapati, who is a creator. Prajapati has three childrens,
1) Devas
2) Danavas
3) Humans
And to command them, they give message through the thunder, whom all these three are interpret as a Da. So they get tree Da. And all this three Da give one specific command. Like Datta for Devas, Dayadhvam for Danavas, and Damayata for Humans. And meaning of all three is, give, self sacrifice and self - control. Here Eliot take this refrence to give some moral message to people.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti :-
Poem ends with the word "Shanti, Shanti, Shanti." Which is very much used phrase in sanskrit language. This three shanti is indicating the peace for what poet pinning In world of chaos, in world of anarchy.
4) Is it possible to read 'The Waste Land' as a Pandemic Poem?
Yes, we can able to see The Waste land as a pandemic poem. Indirectly we find the refrence of Spanish flu, in which by 1920, 500 millions people had been infected and 50 millions died. More than the soldiers died in the war.
The poem begin with the line, "April is the cruellest month". Which ultimately refrence to the beginning of Spanish flu of that time. To read more about this (Click here )
5) Give link of the goggle sheet with Tabular information on myths, Allusions, Language, animal/birds, colours etc.
Words :- 1786
Paragraph :- 20
Images :- 3
