"The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot

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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