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couuboy's review
5.0
(Review extracted from another project I'm working on)
I first read this when I’d just turned 19 and was not very critical, or smart, or attuned to Proper Poetry, so I figured ‘twas fitting that I should reread it now at just-turned-23 and still not very etc., etc. I don’t remember much of what it was about although I do remember being quite impressed at parts. During this reread I was trying to keep an ear out for the modernist thematics I wouldn’t have known during my first read e.g. disconnected spiritualism and uprooted values, “make it new!”.
The first part is quite interesting, beginning with the famous line apropos the cruelty of spring, intermittently swapping between rhyme, near rhyme, and non-rhyming lines with a perpetually pleasant flow. I was more intrigued by the beginning of the second stanza, which hinted more overtly towards the conceptual undertow, “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,” Is there a foundation to the meaning that we, son of man, can grasp, are we as tethered as we once believed, are we now or have we always been adrift and unstable, guided only by ostensible images? Where do these images come from? Are they institutionally instantiated and if so, then what? I read Nietzsche’s The Gay Science last week and was struck by the phrase “This cathedral erected on flowing water”, both of these pieces, Eliot’s and N’s can be understood in relation to the context of shifting perceptions re: religion, state and self. TWL was released in 1922 with the outcome of the war and TGS, with N constantly positing the hubris of Nationalism and Christianity in the 19th century, and so hermeneutic interpretations around once-living-now-dead narratives and crumbling morality are evidently worth consideration.
The last part also picks up these notions, “He who was living is now dead / We who were living are now dying / With a little patience.” These lines seem to suggest almost a fall from grace perspective of man, which has been one critical interpretation, however personally I don’t believe the Eliot settles for this, “Here is no water but only rock / Rock and no water and the sandy road /… If there were water we should stop and drink / Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think”. There’s a short story by John Barth called Night-Sea Journey which is about how we swim endlessly towards the shore without ever knowing if it is in fact possible to reach our destination and it ends with the sentence, “Ours not to stop and think, ours but to swim or sink.” Overtly reminiscent of Tennyson’s “Theirs not to reason why / Theirs but to do or die.” All of these instances point towards the fact that our condition as son of man is to be always amongst the rock, unable to stop or think. The mode of being we currently belong to is fragmented, incomplete, we don’t have the capacity (and whether “yet” is even on the table, who can say?) to transcend our home on the rock and reach the grace of water – “But there is no water”. “Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think” indeed, but the rock is our unwitting immanence, it’s the only home we have: “No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke:” David Foster Wallace wrote, “that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from the horrific struggle. That our endless and impossible journey toward home is in fact our home.” If only, Eliot seems to be saying, if only there were water, then we would not be condemned to this scorched earth, this wasted land.
I first read this when I’d just turned 19 and was not very critical, or smart, or attuned to Proper Poetry, so I figured ‘twas fitting that I should reread it now at just-turned-23 and still not very etc., etc. I don’t remember much of what it was about although I do remember being quite impressed at parts. During this reread I was trying to keep an ear out for the modernist thematics I wouldn’t have known during my first read e.g. disconnected spiritualism and uprooted values, “make it new!”.
The first part is quite interesting, beginning with the famous line apropos the cruelty of spring, intermittently swapping between rhyme, near rhyme, and non-rhyming lines with a perpetually pleasant flow. I was more intrigued by the beginning of the second stanza, which hinted more overtly towards the conceptual undertow, “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,” Is there a foundation to the meaning that we, son of man, can grasp, are we as tethered as we once believed, are we now or have we always been adrift and unstable, guided only by ostensible images? Where do these images come from? Are they institutionally instantiated and if so, then what? I read Nietzsche’s The Gay Science last week and was struck by the phrase “This cathedral erected on flowing water”, both of these pieces, Eliot’s and N’s can be understood in relation to the context of shifting perceptions re: religion, state and self. TWL was released in 1922 with the outcome of the war and TGS, with N constantly positing the hubris of Nationalism and Christianity in the 19th century, and so hermeneutic interpretations around once-living-now-dead narratives and crumbling morality are evidently worth consideration.
The last part also picks up these notions, “He who was living is now dead / We who were living are now dying / With a little patience.” These lines seem to suggest almost a fall from grace perspective of man, which has been one critical interpretation, however personally I don’t believe the Eliot settles for this, “Here is no water but only rock / Rock and no water and the sandy road /… If there were water we should stop and drink / Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think”. There’s a short story by John Barth called Night-Sea Journey which is about how we swim endlessly towards the shore without ever knowing if it is in fact possible to reach our destination and it ends with the sentence, “Ours not to stop and think, ours but to swim or sink.” Overtly reminiscent of Tennyson’s “Theirs not to reason why / Theirs but to do or die.” All of these instances point towards the fact that our condition as son of man is to be always amongst the rock, unable to stop or think. The mode of being we currently belong to is fragmented, incomplete, we don’t have the capacity (and whether “yet” is even on the table, who can say?) to transcend our home on the rock and reach the grace of water – “But there is no water”. “Amongst the rock one cannot stop or think” indeed, but the rock is our unwitting immanence, it’s the only home we have: “No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke:” David Foster Wallace wrote, “that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from the horrific struggle. That our endless and impossible journey toward home is in fact our home.” If only, Eliot seems to be saying, if only there were water, then we would not be condemned to this scorched earth, this wasted land.
helen000's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
slimjimjames99's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
paula12's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Surprisingly to myself, I loved this. It was fun to read, decipher and think about and I'm definitely gonna be coming back to this in the future
bellatrix's review
slow-paced
4.0
"April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain."
Stunning imagery, great use of irony, and oh so powerful verse-craftmanship! Just stunning!
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain."
Stunning imagery, great use of irony, and oh so powerful verse-craftmanship! Just stunning!
lucazani11's review
4.0
"The Waste Land" is a complex and multi-layered poem by T.S. Eliot that has been subject to various interpretations and critical analyses. The poem is considered a landmark in modernist literature and is known for its fragmented structure, intricate symbolism, and intertextual references to a wide range of literary and cultural sources.
At its core, "The Waste Land" is a meditation on the spiritual and moral decay of modern civilization, particularly in the aftermath of World War I. The poem's title itself suggests a landscape that is barren, desolate, and devoid of life. Eliot presents a vision of a world that is fragmented, disintegrated, and in a state of moral disintegration.
One of the central themes of the poem is the breakdown of communication and the failure of language to bridge the gap between individuals and communities. Eliot presents a series of disjointed and fragmented images that reflect the breakdown of language and the inability of individuals to connect with each other. The poem is full of references to various languages, cultures, and traditions, but they are all presented as disjointed fragments that fail to form a coherent whole.
Another important theme of the poem is the search for spiritual renewal and regeneration in the face of the moral and spiritual decay of modern civilization. Eliot presents a series of characters who are searching for a way to escape from the spiritual wasteland of modern society and find a sense of meaning and purpose in life. However, these characters are often presented as fragmented and disintegrated, reflecting the sense of fragmentation and disintegration that characterizes modern society.
Finally, "The Waste Land" can be seen as a critique of modern civilization and its emphasis on rationality, progress, and materialism. Eliot presents a world in which rationality and science have failed to provide a sense of meaning and purpose, and materialism has led to spiritual emptiness and moral decay. The poem can be seen as a call for a return to traditional values and a reconnection with the spiritual and the moral.
In conclusion, "The Waste Land" is a complex and challenging poem that reflects the fragmentation and disintegration of modern civilization. It presents a vision of a world that is morally and spiritually bankrupt, and offers a critique of modern values and beliefs. Despite its bleak and desolate vision, the poem also offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that spiritual renewal and regeneration are still possible in the face of the wasteland of modern society.
At its core, "The Waste Land" is a meditation on the spiritual and moral decay of modern civilization, particularly in the aftermath of World War I. The poem's title itself suggests a landscape that is barren, desolate, and devoid of life. Eliot presents a vision of a world that is fragmented, disintegrated, and in a state of moral disintegration.
One of the central themes of the poem is the breakdown of communication and the failure of language to bridge the gap between individuals and communities. Eliot presents a series of disjointed and fragmented images that reflect the breakdown of language and the inability of individuals to connect with each other. The poem is full of references to various languages, cultures, and traditions, but they are all presented as disjointed fragments that fail to form a coherent whole.
Another important theme of the poem is the search for spiritual renewal and regeneration in the face of the moral and spiritual decay of modern civilization. Eliot presents a series of characters who are searching for a way to escape from the spiritual wasteland of modern society and find a sense of meaning and purpose in life. However, these characters are often presented as fragmented and disintegrated, reflecting the sense of fragmentation and disintegration that characterizes modern society.
Finally, "The Waste Land" can be seen as a critique of modern civilization and its emphasis on rationality, progress, and materialism. Eliot presents a world in which rationality and science have failed to provide a sense of meaning and purpose, and materialism has led to spiritual emptiness and moral decay. The poem can be seen as a call for a return to traditional values and a reconnection with the spiritual and the moral.
In conclusion, "The Waste Land" is a complex and challenging poem that reflects the fragmentation and disintegration of modern civilization. It presents a vision of a world that is morally and spiritually bankrupt, and offers a critique of modern values and beliefs. Despite its bleak and desolate vision, the poem also offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that spiritual renewal and regeneration are still possible in the face of the wasteland of modern society.