... it numbs and '[covers]' the anguish of modern culture and civilisation. Additionally, the syntax of these two lines appear disjointed and fragmented; the caesurae inhibit the progression of the line, portraying Western society as lacking in coherence and in a state of stagnation and fragmentation. In this opening section, Eliot alludes to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, where 'April with his showres soote/ The droughte of March hath perced ... to the roote'. This description starkly contrasts with Eliot's pessimism; by taking these images of rebirth and abundance and opposing ...

• Word Count: 1365
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate