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My interpretation of the poem - " The Waste Land " by T.S.Eliot





                                                   


     'The Waste Land' is the masterpiece of T.S.Eliot. Eliot describes rotten state of human life in 20th century. The waste Land is the land where is nothing can be grown. The waste land is the Land of fertile, fruitless, and hollowness of human Beings in Modern age.              
                                               
As we all know that the poem ' Modern Epic ' divided into five parts. Each part is  juxtaposes fragments of various aspects and it is just like episodic events which seems like 'Story within Story.'

As per my understanding, I try to give answers of questions which is mentioned here.

1.)  After reading image, I want to say that Friedrich Nietzsche and T.S.Eliot both are different. Friedrich Nietzsche is progressive and forward looking where as T.S.Eliot seems like regressive because both have totally different sights and beliefs.

Friedrich has the idea of 'Superman' who believes in faith and Self only. Superman has quality that he only believes in this life rather than after the death of life.Means, he has no belief in any mysticism. Super human  is the creator of own life and values. He has his own motifs and will power.He thinks that the self is more important than any thing else and there is nothing beyond the self.            

After reading poem , we can say that T.S. Eliot believes in religion and spirituality because in his poem we find many religious symbols of different religion like.... Buddhism, Hindusim, and Christianity.
poet uses many Christian symbols and philosophy which suggests that poem is known as " Christian Poem."

E.g.
          " A dead sound on the final stroke of nine."

Above line is direct connected with death God- Christ.


Yes, I think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzsche’s  views because Eliot goes back into past.Eliot uses the mythos and historical settings to convey his messages at different level. Because Our behaviors and culture is constructed by myths. with the references of myths, poet is able to explain some moral lessons. Present and past is always connected because roots are always in past. His vision  of the future is connected to past.

so, Eliot goes back into past to find out answers and also achieved  universality of thoughts by recalling mythos historical answers to the contemporary malaise.            

2.) Observing both's idea we can say that both are thinking in opposite direction. Freud believes in collective and individual balance which should be constantly take into account man's primitive instincts. Where as , Eliot believes in one's salvation which lies in the preservation of cultural tradition. It is pre-existed means already there and which must preserver it chaos is to be avoided.

The central idea of the poem is sexual perversion and spiritual drought both are inter woven in the poem.Culture and traditions are there , it is within us not primitiveness. In other words, We may say that Culture sustain within us rather than primitiveness. If all things crumbling down gradually,            How all those things reconstructed?
                              Does it rise again from the ashes ?

3.)   Reading the poem 'The Waste Land', readers surely say that Eliot has great knowledge of different cultural and different religions also. The waste Land is the example of it because in poem he uses five different languages like...... English , German, French, , and Sanskrit and different religions like  Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity.

Here, I just want mention only Indian thoughts which is used by Eliot in his poem. He uses 'Upanishads philosophy' which shows the path of living life. He uses  that time where in Waste Land there is no calmness and no hope for bright future. He describes the way of living life through  'Sanatan Dharama'.  There is the concept of  ' Life in Death.'  Many time we find that archetypes of images broken down.

In last part, 'What The Thunder Said' Eliot uses the Indian thought which is direct related to Spirituality and it gives the consolation and much calmness and peace.

e.g.


“Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves waited for rain,
While the black clouds Gathered far distant, over Himavant.”

Eliot uses the three " Da"  which is taken from " Brihadaranyaka Upanishad". Means...

1.Datta.... Be Giver

We have to be giver. For sake of  humanity, lots of people scarified their life also because only blood purify the evils. Humanity are survived only because of such people. so, it is said that....

" Blood is thiker than Water."

2. Dayadhvam....Sympathies

Everybody is in his prison because of self ego. And self is the key to come out from it but really it is very difficult task.

3. Damyata........Self Control



Everything is burning in waste Land. Boat as body and Fishing and fished, through this we find that Western culture has bad connotation with sexual perversion and spiritual draught. So, Self control is the most important.

Original lines of the poem which suggest above three meanings, like..

        “DA
        Datta: What have we given?
        My friend  blood shaking my heart
        The awful daring of a moment's surrender
         Which an age of prudence can never retract
         By this, and this only, we have existed
         Which is not to be found in our obituraies
         or in memories draped by the beneficient spider
         Or under seals broken by the lean solicitor
         In our empty rooms
        DA
       Dayadhvm: I have heard the key
       Turn in the door once and turn once only
       We think of the key, each in his prision
       Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison
       Only at nightfall, aetherial rumours
       Revive for a moment a broken coriolanus
       DA
      Damyata: The boat responded
      Gsily, to the hand expert with sail and oar
      The sea was calm, your heart would have
      responded
      Gaily, when invited, beating obedient
      To controlling hands
I     sat upon the shore
      Fishing, with the arid plain  behing me
      Shall I at least set my lands in order?

London Bridge is falling down falling down falling
        down

Poi S'ascose nel foco che gli affina
        Quando fiam ceu chelidon- O swallow swallow
         le prince d'Aquitaine a la tour abolie
         These fragments I have shired against my ruins
         Why then lle fit you. Hieronymo's mad againe.
         Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.

         Shantih  Shantih  Shantih “

Repetition of word " Shantih" suggests the ' The peace which passeth understanding'. Now there is no need of explanation, everyone is in his/her peace. Now, there is no darkness and evils . All dark nights passed and dawn of new morning with hope is rising there. Now , there is no suffering and much pain but they all are waiting for some bright hope. And the poem ends with hope with references of Upanishads - Indian thoughts/philosophy though whole poem is in despair.

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