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Spiritual Significance in “The Waste Land”

It is not debated that T.S. Eliot was an extremely educated person in many fields of expertise. It is also true that his epic-like poem, “The Waste Land” is a poem which illustrates the abundance Eliot’s intelligence. However, the knowledge that Eliot chooses to include in the poem indicates a great deal about him as a human being who is trying to instruct his readers. Even though it is impossible to accurately assume that the views of a narrator of a work are the same as those of the author, it is true that “The Waste Land” was written for a didactic purpose. Eliot, as the author, specifically desires that the readers of “The Waste Land” gain wisdom through the representation of this epic-like poem. One of the many points that Eliot intends for his readers to learn is that the lack of faith and spirituality are sources which factor into the emptiness that is “The Waste Land.” Even though Eliot did not convert to Anglo Catholicism until after “The Waste Land” was written, he still relies on biblical allusions to express the importance of conviction and holiness. Therefore, it seems correct to assume that Eliot was a devoted and mystical person when he wrote “The Waste Land.” Furthermore, Eliot rel

Davidson, Harriet. T.S. Eliot and Hermeneutics. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1985.

Kim, Dal-Young. Puritan Sensibility in T.S. Eliot’s Poetry. New York: Peter Lang, 1994.

Bergsten, Staffan. Time and Eternity: A Study in the Structure and Symbolism of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. New York: Humanities Press, 1973.

ies not only upon the Christian religion to prove that faith and spirituality are important, but he also relies on Indian religions and philosophy to prove the importance of these two virtues. Consequently, Eliot uses various religious allusions in “The Waste Land” so that he will not impose a specific religion on his readers; instead, Eliot wants his readers to realize that being a spiritual and holy person and having a relationship with God is vital in order to live a life which is meaningful.

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