T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land is
one of the most outstanding poems of the 20th century. It has been hailed as
Eliot’s masterpiece - the supreme triumph of the poetic art in modern times.
Yet some critics have railed against it as an abstract, ambiguous and highly
over-rated poem. This controversy does not, however, distract from the overall
merits of the poem and the aura of "greatness" that still surrounds
it.
It is a poem
written in the epic mold of such classic works as Dante’s Divine Comedy,
especially the first part i.e. Hell/ Inferno. Eliot’s poem,
though, has a fragmentary quality about it. This is symbolic of the aridity and
decadence of modern western civilization as well as the poet’s own inner
despair at the desolate prospect of the post-World War I era, its chaos and
frustration.
This
startling poem presents a veritable labyrinth of meanings and messages for our
turbulent times. Eliot’s use of complex symbols and intricate imagery adds
richness and variety to the texture of the poem. It is replete with luxuriant
allusions to myth, ritual, religion, history - both past and present. This
makes the poem itself a virtual "waste land" or quagmire through
which any aspiring reader must cautiously wade if s/he wishes to absorb the
essence of its meaning or significance.
Eliot uses a
novel poetic technique in this complex poem. He presents a quick succession of
brilliant images in almost cinematic or kaleidoscopic fashion. These eclectic
flashes are drawn from both past and present life. They include a wide range of
socio-cultural, religious and secular experiences common to both an individual
life and the collective life of Western society from ancient times right down
to the present. These electrifying images dazzle not just the reader’s eye but
also his/her mind.
In brief,
then, T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land is a truly
remarkable poem that broke new ground in English poetry when it was first
published and continues to engage our amazement.
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