Poets - 10 - T. S. Eliot (1888-1969)

Thomas Stearns Eliot the most influential pioneer among the modern poets was born in St Louis, Missouri, U. S. A. His grandfather had founded Washington University. His parents were strict, religious, and literary. After his basic education at St Louis, Eliot entered Harvard University and studied literature and philosophy. While he was there he wrote for college magazines.

After receiving his Master’s degree in 1910 he studied at Oxford University, England, and at Sorbonne University, France, successively.

Eliot moved permanently to England in 1915 and became a British citizen seven years later. Yet he remained American in many ways. He sometimes signed his name Thomas Missouri Eliot and he loved American comic strips and movies of the famous Marx brothers. Marrying in 1915 Eliot eventually became a partner in a publishing house. Earlier he worked as a teacher and a bank officer.

T. S. Eliot’s early poems capture the alienation and spiritual bankruptcy felt by many writers of his day. He returned frequently to these matters in his first volume of poetry, ‘Prufrock and Other Observations’ (1917) as well as in his later works, ‘The Waste Land’ (1922) and ‘The Hollow Men’ (1925).

After these works Eliot’s poetry began to show the stirrings of religious faith. The poem ‘Ash Wednesday’ (1930) written soon after his conversion to the Church of England, portrays his climb from despair to hope and from disillusionment to belief. In his masterpiece ‘The Four Quartets’ (1943) he affirms his spiritual values in the midst of the World War II.

Eliot’s poems are known for their concrete images, irregular rhythms, shifting moods and ‘patchwork’ presentation of religious, historical, mythological and literary references. His poetry also mixes elevated language with slang and colloquial expressions.

Eliot believed that poetry should not state emotions directly. Rather the poet should select images that trigger these emotions in the reader. According to his theory of art, the poet’s personal emotions are of no artistic worth in themselves. What matters is the art that reworks these emotions into universal patterns and symbols.

In 1948 T. S. Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first American-born poet to be so honoured. However Eliot found success with other forms of writing besides poetry.

He published influential literary criticism, and wrote poetic dramas. Among his best-known plays are ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ (1935), ‘The Family Reunion’ (1939) and ‘The Cocktail Party’ (1950).

Poems written by T. S. Eliot :-

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Prufrock and Other Observations
Poems
The Waste Land
Ash Wednesday
Four Quartets

Plays :-

The Rock
Murder in the Cathedral
The Family Reunion
The Cocktail Party
The Confidential Clerk
The Elder Statesman

Literary Criticism :-

The use of Poetry and the Use of Criticism
Elizabethan Essays
Essays Ancient and Modern
What is a Classic?

Social and ethical criticism :-

The Idea of a Christian Society
Notes Towards a Definition of Culture

T. S. Eliot passed away in 1969 in London after a brief illness.

Hive account@juanmanuellopez1 Hive account@coolguy222 Hive account@newageinv Hive account@gowealth Hive account@blessed-girl Hive account@cruis Hive account@lexymaine Hive account@alokkumar121 Hive account@aceandnotes Hive account@darlenys01 Hive account@rafique1953 Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@wems Hive account@ajks Hive account@alaisguineasis Hive account@amnlive Hive account@kimmysomelove42 Hive account@praditya Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@samryan Hive account@vickykarma Hive account@brightsun Hive account@oppongk Hive account@kryp70kn1gh7 Hive account@hobo.media Hive account@theticket Hive account@royer94 Hive account@mentalhealthguru Hive account@bradley028 Hive account@nummulshrma Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@maikelblogo Hive account@mrblu Hive account@nancymj Hive account@petervi Hive account@mcoinz79 Hive account@missabigail Hive account@saludoalalma Hive account@mcnestler Hive account@moarafatshow Hive account@gargi Hive account@luis402 Hive account@sumon-ar-vines Hive account@naijauser Hive account@yantrax Hive account@josema.saborido Hive account@khan.dayyanz Hive account@shapescooper Hive account@aceofhearts Hive account@marcocosta Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@fusroj Hive account@cashlane Hive account@borrowedearth Hive account@michaeljn Hive account@kchitrah Hive account@mitchhunter Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@cherlianny Hive account@unknownphoton Hive account@unclefz Hive account@gardengranny Hive account@bettyamv Hive account@ghostwriter9 Hive account@nancybriti Hive account@missladybug Hive account@shirophantomhive Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@ankitjnv Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@gowealth Hive account@ustaadonline Hive account@daio Hive account@brightsun Hive account@mzubairch Hive account@amit1995 Hive account@starapple Hive account@treodecimo Hive account@edinhazard Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@wasito Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@maroni55 Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@ajtech2596 Hive account@keithf Hive account@wesleyvanderstel Hive account@grainsofsand Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@naijauser Hive account@castleirwell Hive account@juanmanuellopez1 Hive account@coolguy222 Hive account@newageinv Hive account@gowealth Hive account@blessed-girl Hive account@cruis Hive account@lexymaine Hive account@alokkumar121 Hive account@aceandnotes Hive account@darlenys01 Hive account@rafique1953 Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@wems Hive account@ajks Hive account@alaisguineasis Hive account@amnlive Hive account@kimmysomelove42 Hive account@praditya Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@samryan Hive account@vickykarma Hive account@brightsun Hive account@oppongk Hive account@kryp70kn1gh7 Hive account@hobo.media Hive account@theticket Hive account@royer94 Hive account@mentalhealthguru Hive account@bradley028 Hive account@nummulshrma Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@maikelblogo Hive account@mrblu Hive account@nancymj Hive account@petervi Hive account@mcoinz79 Hive account@missabigail Hive account@saludoalalma Hive account@mcnestler Hive account@moarafatshow Hive account@gargi Hive account@luis402 Hive account@sumon-ar-vines Hive account@naijauser Hive account@yantrax Hive account@josema.saborido Hive account@khan.dayyanz Hive account@shapescooper Hive account@aceofhearts Hive account@marcocosta Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@fusroj Hive account@cashlane Hive account@borrowedearth Hive account@michaeljn Hive account@kchitrah Hive account@mitchhunter Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@cherlianny Hive account@unknownphoton Hive account@unclefz Hive account@gardengranny Hive account@bettyamv Hive account@ghostwriter9 Hive account@nancybriti Hive account@missladybug Hive account@shirophantomhive Hive account@rvag5 Hive account@ankitjnv Hive account@marvyinnovation Hive account@tommyl33 Hive account@gowealth Hive account@ustaadonline Hive account@daio Hive account@brightsun Hive account@mzubairch Hive account@amit1995 Hive account@starapple Hive account@treodecimo Hive account@edinhazard Hive account@maxijgcomm Hive account@wasito Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@maroni55 Hive account@nataliaeline Hive account@ajtech2596 Hive account@keithf Hive account@wesleyvanderstel Hive account@grainsofsand Hive account@mariita52 Hive account@naijauser Hive account@castleirwell Hive account@isabelpereira Hive account@nulifeiq Hive account@royer94 Hive account@yaleal Hive account@ushmil Hive account@nisiryan0522 Hive account@reveurgam Hive account@certain Hive account@kkins Hive account@nurseanne84 Hive account@hemi Hive account@amar Hive account@supportweku-io Hive account@whitelist