(no subject)
To my readers,
Please find attached my review of T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland.” Because I’m one of the many who was born typing on a computer and immersed in technology at a young age, I think I write pretty well to those who can relate. The Wasteland is enjoyable on many levels, a few which I touch on in depth and will hopefully spark your interest in reading the poem yourself.
It can be frustrating to have to do research the “analogue way,” but it’s worth it when finding a poem like Eliot’s that’s lasted throughout the generations. That was my struggle when I first started my review, but I stayed true to what I liked about the piece and that helped me through it. I find myself coming back to themes in The Wasteland when having casual conversations with people, especially because what Eliot did for poetry is both relevant and revolutionized how we enjoy our music, art and writing today.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my review, I hope you find what you relate to in The Wasteland.
Alice Robertson
Title: Rats’ Alley
By: Alice Robertson
Subheading: : The Significance of World War I to T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland”
Pullquote: The Waste Land is a collage of fragmented experiences, which allude to how things come and go; emotions, people, places - they all change eventually.
Body:
'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.
'Do
'You know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember
'Nothing?'
The above excerpt stood out to me when I first read “The Wasteland.” In my review I’ll explain a few central themes that pull the poem together and make it relatable as well as enjoyable to a contemporary audience. The contrasting theme of life and death is apparent throughout The Waste Land, ranging from physical to emotional "decay, entropy, sterility and fragmentation" contrasted with themes of daily life some would consider the opposite of all that. Images of spring lilacs growing "out of the dead land" is contrasting; don't we think of life where flowers are growing? Mary Karr's "How To Read The Wasteland So It Alters Your Soul Rather Than Just Addling Your Head" talks about listening to the poem and identifying with it "simian curiosity." The Waste Land is a collage of fragmented experiences, which allude to how things come and go; emotions, people, places - they all change eventually. This particular excerpt speaks to this theme.
The sensibility of T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” is decayed and sterile, made apparent through images of life and death in his collage of scenes and characters. Because of it’s historical context, being post World War I, many of these images relate to the decay of the war had on society. “I think we’re in rats’ alley where the dead men lost their bones” makes me think of dark, narrow walls dripping wet and infested with diseased rodents. The “dead men” in World War I most likely died by gunfire, flamethrowers, poison gas, tanks, and other new weaponry introduced (firstworldwar.com). It’s a wonder that anyone survived the war, and if they did, how did that affect their lives, their families? It makes sense it had a big influence on the poem because everyone was affected by it directly or indirectly. Another line, “[The] corpse you planted…[has it] begun to sprout?” references the beginning of the poem where April is the “cruelest month.” Flowers spring from the “dead ground,” either because of the changing seasons from winter to spring or because of the after shocks of the war. This theme is found in some of Eliot’s other work such as “The Hollow Men,” where he talks about “the dead land” and “waking alone.” It makes sense that those who survived the war were alone in their experience - a lot of people died, and those who weren’t there wouldn’t ever entirely understand.
The passage I chose from “A Game of Chess” is a conversation between two people who I read as a couple. Eliot wrote the poem with references to World War I. Lines like "I think we are in rats' alley where the dead men lost their bones" identifies a cold, dark place where he once was and still feels he is - at war. Throughout The Waste Land, Eliot hints at frustration and misunderstanding, especially sexual frustration. His reference to war in the horrible trench also tells the story of impotence, or the men losing their "bones" - of the character's inability to perform both emotionally and physically. I came to these conclusions intuitively but also through Nancy Gish’s reading, which “presents specific illustrations of the lives of those living dead who walk London’s streets and depicts their lonely isolation from one another.” It's a good example of how decay and sterility are found throughout the poem, this one affecting two people's ability to communicate. The dialogue continues with a tone that sounds compulsive, "What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?" To which he replies, "Nothing again nothing." However, when I looked at the poem again I noticed his apparent reply was never in quotations, which makes me think he never replied at all. The fact her husband is numbed by his experience in the war makes him unresponsive and her doubled over in emotional pain as a result. Through the "parallel miseries" of both character's a feeling of tension builds, of betrayal and death: the death of the relationship. This passage is still very relevant today because of other instances that can be numbing such as medication or our general lack of physical contact with the world around us. Although Eliot removed a lot of personal experience from his poem, Gish asserts he still used it to fuel the conversations and situations consistently and originally. I personally believe we need to feel the experience of the writer or artist because it was definitely important in the creation of the work. When reading or seeing work that’s emotionally charged, even years later, it relates to us as well.
“The Wasteland” appeals to a variety of audiences whether or not his themes and references are clear. It’s interesting how contemporary issues with war and society still make it relevant to society today. With research I was able to further understand the significance of this poem to life then and now. I still have a lot more to do, but it’s apparent it has the ability to transcend time gaps and forgetful history because hey-I’m reading it right now. Death and decay is everywhere, heightened by Eliot’s feelings of despair where the appearance of the war’s impact on the streets fed it further. In the end he starts to see his journey, whether or not he chooses to identify it as “his,” as it’s unfolded, which makes the poem enjoyable to read a second or third time. The text is full of references not detectable at first glance, but I’d recommend reading through it first to really feel the poem, and then hunt for the rest of the deeper, enjoyable aspects.
Please find attached my review of T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland.” Because I’m one of the many who was born typing on a computer and immersed in technology at a young age, I think I write pretty well to those who can relate. The Wasteland is enjoyable on many levels, a few which I touch on in depth and will hopefully spark your interest in reading the poem yourself.
It can be frustrating to have to do research the “analogue way,” but it’s worth it when finding a poem like Eliot’s that’s lasted throughout the generations. That was my struggle when I first started my review, but I stayed true to what I liked about the piece and that helped me through it. I find myself coming back to themes in The Wasteland when having casual conversations with people, especially because what Eliot did for poetry is both relevant and revolutionized how we enjoy our music, art and writing today.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my review, I hope you find what you relate to in The Wasteland.
Alice Robertson
Title: Rats’ Alley
By: Alice Robertson
Subheading: : The Significance of World War I to T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland”
Pullquote: The Waste Land is a collage of fragmented experiences, which allude to how things come and go; emotions, people, places - they all change eventually.
Body:
'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.
'Do
'You know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember
'Nothing?'
The above excerpt stood out to me when I first read “The Wasteland.” In my review I’ll explain a few central themes that pull the poem together and make it relatable as well as enjoyable to a contemporary audience. The contrasting theme of life and death is apparent throughout The Waste Land, ranging from physical to emotional "decay, entropy, sterility and fragmentation" contrasted with themes of daily life some would consider the opposite of all that. Images of spring lilacs growing "out of the dead land" is contrasting; don't we think of life where flowers are growing? Mary Karr's "How To Read The Wasteland So It Alters Your Soul Rather Than Just Addling Your Head" talks about listening to the poem and identifying with it "simian curiosity." The Waste Land is a collage of fragmented experiences, which allude to how things come and go; emotions, people, places - they all change eventually. This particular excerpt speaks to this theme.
The sensibility of T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” is decayed and sterile, made apparent through images of life and death in his collage of scenes and characters. Because of it’s historical context, being post World War I, many of these images relate to the decay of the war had on society. “I think we’re in rats’ alley where the dead men lost their bones” makes me think of dark, narrow walls dripping wet and infested with diseased rodents. The “dead men” in World War I most likely died by gunfire, flamethrowers, poison gas, tanks, and other new weaponry introduced (firstworldwar.com). It’s a wonder that anyone survived the war, and if they did, how did that affect their lives, their families? It makes sense it had a big influence on the poem because everyone was affected by it directly or indirectly. Another line, “[The] corpse you planted…[has it] begun to sprout?” references the beginning of the poem where April is the “cruelest month.” Flowers spring from the “dead ground,” either because of the changing seasons from winter to spring or because of the after shocks of the war. This theme is found in some of Eliot’s other work such as “The Hollow Men,” where he talks about “the dead land” and “waking alone.” It makes sense that those who survived the war were alone in their experience - a lot of people died, and those who weren’t there wouldn’t ever entirely understand.
The passage I chose from “A Game of Chess” is a conversation between two people who I read as a couple. Eliot wrote the poem with references to World War I. Lines like "I think we are in rats' alley where the dead men lost their bones" identifies a cold, dark place where he once was and still feels he is - at war. Throughout The Waste Land, Eliot hints at frustration and misunderstanding, especially sexual frustration. His reference to war in the horrible trench also tells the story of impotence, or the men losing their "bones" - of the character's inability to perform both emotionally and physically. I came to these conclusions intuitively but also through Nancy Gish’s reading, which “presents specific illustrations of the lives of those living dead who walk London’s streets and depicts their lonely isolation from one another.” It's a good example of how decay and sterility are found throughout the poem, this one affecting two people's ability to communicate. The dialogue continues with a tone that sounds compulsive, "What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?" To which he replies, "Nothing again nothing." However, when I looked at the poem again I noticed his apparent reply was never in quotations, which makes me think he never replied at all. The fact her husband is numbed by his experience in the war makes him unresponsive and her doubled over in emotional pain as a result. Through the "parallel miseries" of both character's a feeling of tension builds, of betrayal and death: the death of the relationship. This passage is still very relevant today because of other instances that can be numbing such as medication or our general lack of physical contact with the world around us. Although Eliot removed a lot of personal experience from his poem, Gish asserts he still used it to fuel the conversations and situations consistently and originally. I personally believe we need to feel the experience of the writer or artist because it was definitely important in the creation of the work. When reading or seeing work that’s emotionally charged, even years later, it relates to us as well.
“The Wasteland” appeals to a variety of audiences whether or not his themes and references are clear. It’s interesting how contemporary issues with war and society still make it relevant to society today. With research I was able to further understand the significance of this poem to life then and now. I still have a lot more to do, but it’s apparent it has the ability to transcend time gaps and forgetful history because hey-I’m reading it right now. Death and decay is everywhere, heightened by Eliot’s feelings of despair where the appearance of the war’s impact on the streets fed it further. In the end he starts to see his journey, whether or not he chooses to identify it as “his,” as it’s unfolded, which makes the poem enjoyable to read a second or third time. The text is full of references not detectable at first glance, but I’d recommend reading through it first to really feel the poem, and then hunt for the rest of the deeper, enjoyable aspects.