On Attempting to Analyze T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" | Teen Ink

On Attempting to Analyze T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland"

April 20, 2012
By Anonymous

I tire of this wasted land,
I tire of this wasted time,
I tire of this maddening man,
His opaque words and lack of rhyme.

In padded cells and ashen skies
He scrawled his wandering, weary thoughts
With fiery nerves and shivering skin
His twisted language bent and crossed

Dull voices roared behind his eyes,
His own voice was a coming rain –
It rolled and snapped: it tumbled on:
In wasted land, what man is sane?

His words are silent now, and still;
They lie pinned flat against the page
And, in his absence – meaningless!
Mad men mean nothing more with age.

English fades to Sanskrit, and
A thousand Englishes combine
Philomel darts in and out –
I tire of this wasted time.

And they, so mired in filthy pubs,
Complain of nerves and quickened breath;
With nonsense words they waste the land.
We beat this rotting horse to death.


The author's comments:
Listen, I'm sure "The Wasteland" by T.S. Eliot is just a peachy-keen bit of literary genius. Nevertheless... one does not simply analyze modernist poetry.
Except for in my Poetry class, apparently.
I would like to add here that I really do like that class and the teacher is one of the coolest people I know, no sucking-up intended, but my God.
Modernist poetry.
Strike that - modernist poetry written by a crazy guy.
Have mercy.

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This article has 2 comments.


Virtue19 GOLD said...
on May. 9 2012 at 4:13 pm
Virtue19 GOLD, Jamaica, New York
10 articles 2 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you're all the same," Jonathan Davis

This poem was absolutely gorgeous. I wouldn't change a thing if I were you! Great job!=)

on Apr. 27 2012 at 6:12 pm
Behind_a_Plastic_Smile GOLD, Roseville, California
17 articles 1 photo 129 comments

Favorite Quote:
"if you're not 1st you're last"

Testify!! haha 

no but this was really cool i love it 5/5 and totally agree with you about it, its such a tedious read.