The Waste Land

 Thinking Activity : The Waste Land 

Hello Readers! This blog is a response to the Thinking Activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Department of English, MKBU. In this blog I am going to discuss  the question related to the poem 'The Waste Land'. 

T. S. Eliot:-

Born:- 1888

Died:- 1965

T. S. Eliot, in full Thomas Stearns Eliot, was American - English poet, playwright, literary critic and editor, a leader of the Modernist Movement in poetry. His experiments in duction, style, and versification revitalised English poetry, and in a series of critical essays he shattered old orthodoxies and erected new ones.  In 1948 he was awarded both the order of Merit and the Nobel prize for literature. In the year 1910 and 1911, while still a college student he wrote 'The LoveSong of J. Alfred Prufrock ' published in poetry magazine. Eliot is the most famous poet of the  20th century.

The Waste Land:- 

The Waste land is one of the most famous poem of  T. S. Eliot and also Modern poetry of the 20th century. This poem was published in 1922. The poem consists of  total of 433 lines. T. S. Eliot dedicated this poem to fellow poet - Ezra Pound, who helped condense the original manuscripts to nearly half its size.   This poem is divided into five parts which are as below.

• The Burial of Dead
• A Game of Chess
• The Fire Sermon
• Death by Water
• What the Thunder Said 

Let's discuss the summary of these five parts. 

The Burial of Dead:-

The Burial of the Dead is first section of the poem The Waste Land. The title refers to fertility and the burial service. It suggests that humanity has lost touch with its spiritual essence. It also suggests that true rebirth and renewal can only come through a willingness to confront the challenges of spiritual growth, even when those challenges are difficult and uncomfortable. For the waste landers, "April is the cruellest month" which brings birth to flowers from the land. This flower implies rebirth which requires some effort on their part. They don't like April because April is bad and Cruel. They like winter, which is Symbol of spiritual death. In this section poet use many symbols  which are as below.

• The April month
• The Hyacinth girl
• Madame Sosostris 
• The London bridge 
• Maria in the Mountains

A Game of Chess :- 

A Game of Chess is the second section of T. S. Eliot's poem. The title taken from Thomas Middleton's play- 'Women Beware Women '. This part of the poem centred on female sexuality and estrangement of relationship and marriage. The Cupid -a symbol of sexuality and love. Reference of Philomena came in the part of the poem. Philomena raped by the barbarous king and after that turned into Nightingale. The reference to the game of chess should be noted. Chess is considered as an emotionless game. Chess symbolises sexual manipulation. Love has no meaning here- Lust can hardly be noted.

The Fire Sermon:-

The Fire Sermon is the third section of T. S. Eliot's poem. This is the longest part of the poem. The title is taken from a sermon given by Buddha in which he encouraged his followers to give up earthly passion and seek freedom from earthly things. This part of the poem gives the idea of spiritual degradation. 

Death by Water:- 

Death by Water is a symbol of purification and re-birth. In the poem 'The Waste Land' water has become a source of death, because a man leads a life of the senses and in pursuit of wealth. This is the smallest part of the poem. The title is very significant. Generally, water provides life to all of us. But, here the title suggests  death by Water.

What the Thunder Said:-

This is the  last section of the poem. The poem closes with the repetition of three words which the thunder said- Da, Da, Da means, 

Datta:- Be a giver

Dayadhvam:- Be kind & Compassionate

Damyata:- self- control, control over one's passion and desires

These are Eliot's final words of advice to his audience and it's advice he wants us to follow if we are going to have any hope of moving forward. 

Q.1 What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? Do you think that Eliot is regressive as Compared to Nietzsche's Views? Or Has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling mytho-historical answers to the contemporary Malaise ? 

 Nietzsche claimed the human being must craft his/her own identity through self - realisation and do so without relying on anything transcending that life- such as God or a soul; which is considered to be the progressive and forward looking. While Eliot in the Waste land uses the myths, stories and identities from the past with an idea of mistake not being repeated whether in present or at. Eliot is trying to give a universal idea, using the myths of varied culture Eliot has tried to bring universality which inspires society to move on the path of peace. 

Nietzsche believed in the idea about 'God is dead' and every man has to develop his own powers, will power and self esteem to be a 'Superhuman', he is finding a solutions etc., he is not trying asking or driving us to believe in God but is trying to show the real world. With the reference of myths he is presenting scenarios of the present. He is trying to find the solution of the present and future in the past. Nietzsche and Eliot both had different ideas about bringing peace and togetherness in society.

Q. 2 What are your views regarding these comments? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' leads us to a happy and satisfied life? Or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'Salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'?

Freud has talked about the 'primitive instinct' which gives rise to individuality. If one person works according to his wishes and own personal pleasure may be harmful and worrisome to others and if others are working according to their wishes and for their pleasure may be harmful or make us uncomfortable. As Matthew Arnold also said in his essay 'Culture and Anarchy':- "Doing as one likes may bring chaos in the society". 

While Eliot is talking about the preservation of cultural tradition. Culture is a network which connects the society and everyone gets ready to work, to live their life according to the culture which provides togetherness to the society. Thus, I personally agree with Eliot's view that, ", Salvation of man's lies in the preservation of cultural tradition.'

Q. 3 Write about allusion to the Indian thoughts in 'The Waste Land'. (Where, How and Why are the Indian thoughts referred?)

In the Poem The Waste land Eliot brought some Indian spiritual thoughts from Upnishad and Buddhism.Eliot uses the three "Da" taken from Upanishad in the fifth section 'What the Thunder Said '. 

Datta:- Giver

Dayadhvam:- Compassion and

Damyata:- Self-control

The first 'Da' is a message by prajapati for the humans to be 'Datta'- be a giver, have charity not only charity but give oneself for a noble cause. 

The second 'Da' is a message for the Demons- 'Dayadhvam'- have compassion, sympathise and come out of your isolation and live into others.

And the third 'Da' is a message for the Gods- 'Danyata'- to have Self-control, self-restraint over one's passion and desires.

And the poem ends with "Shantih... Shantih... Shantih" an ambitious note, with the triple repetition of the Sanskrit word 'Shantih', which Eliot translates as 'the peace which passes understanding of the poem.

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