T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the lack of water, which is referred to continuously throughout T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land", is a sign of spiritual drought and symbolically indicative of infertility and philosophical and existential stasis. The author points out that water is the primary symbol of the release and awakening from the nightmare of "The Waste Land", and its interpretation offers an alternative to the loss of meaning, which in Eliot's view, characterizes the modern world. The paper relates that water links to the ancient myth of the vegetation god and to the Christian myths because water can be seen to regenerate through suffering and death.

From the Paper:

"The sense of ennui and existential angst is related to Eliot's personal situation as well, and to the situation of his entire generation after the "Great War". Any understanding of the poem necessitates a perception that the symbol of water as an image of salvation from the "modern predicament" and its various constraints, was not a random image selected for its obvious connotations, but refers to an entire tradition of mythical and philosophical thought. Drawing from these ancient roots, the modern usage of the symbol of water is reflected in the intense search for relevance and meaning that was central to the work and the art of the modernist period."

More papers on T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land":

• Analytical Essay # 6447 : "T. S. Eliot: The Poetic Mind"
• Analytical Essay # 89026 : "T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"
• Poem Review # 71212 : "The Waste Land"
• Analytical Essay # 100700 : "T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land - An Analysis of 'The Fire Sermon'"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: