more ramblings on Eliot

I left class Thursday, Sept 11 feeling unsatisfied and annoyed with my consistent lack of understanding of "The Wasteland." I'm annoyed that I'm still hung up on this. Just what the world needs, yet another blog on the complexities of Eliot, posted by a frustrated student.

I have come to terms with my lack of understanding and coherence of the poem. Now I am frustrated that I still haven't been able to put it down. I'm still studying the piece, and the footnotes, and the post-poem articles, and Eliot's essays, and Internet analysis, and even asking advice. I have encountered a million answers but none seem to alleviate my perplexities of the piece as a whole. Here are some thoughts on some personal opinions I have made while desperately trying to learn on my own.

Eliot's allusions can be frustrating, however, is it possible that he included so many as a way to make what he is saying become more real? I know that the allusions are there for several reasons, but let's go back to the fundamental reasons writers choose to include historical or literary allusions. Often writers many include historical or literary allusions with the intent to give their writing emphasis or substance, some sort of historical backbone that supports their modern prose. Briefly, while re-reading "The Wasteland" the thought came to me that perhaps Eliot was doing something similar.
The physical allusions Eliot includes in "The Wasteland" include nouns from several different eras of history. The literary allusions range from early written works to those of his modern (no pun intended) contemporaries.
In the first section of the piece, Eliot speaks directly of clairvoyance, through the use of his Madame Sostrosis section. Also the second stanza of the first section includes the suggestion of the narrator's ghastly premonition. One of the larger themes of the poem includes the thought that death and decay is inevitable and that death is the only thing that brings true understanding or peace. Metaphorical aspects of the poem also seem to forshadow the destruction of human civilization, of empires, e.g. the destruction of Europe during WWI.
And so it occurred to me that perhaps Eliot was using these historical and literary allusions to say, partially, that this horrendous thing, this war, was inevitable. That everything in history was leading up to this climatic occurance.That the destruction was premeditated, that everything wondrous in society (modern advancements, beautiful artistry of literature, organized thoughts and doctrines) all of these things, though lovely, could be made ugly and useless, forgotten like the "empty chapel" in line 388. The chapel serves as a representation of a symbol no longer significant to people, for whatever reason. It may be that people have lost hope, as section V. seems to similarly spiral into darker imagery. I think that in a way the allusions can be reminders of something now made unattainable, symbols of something very far away from us, and for naught. Similar to the way the quest for the Holy Grail was always for naught, always out of reach, a wonderful myth of history that could never be attained or made true by the modern world. Eliot's wasteland echoes with voices of the past, of glittery things that the modern world no longer has a part of. His allusions are reminders of days gone by, paired side-by side with his dark imagery; the past and present colliding. Eliot is writing during a time of mourning for his (adopted) continent and it's culture. A generation has been obliterated; "he who was now living is now dead." This stanza of section V. clearly is a reference to Christ. Unlike the Biblical story of Christ however, the section does not speak of a Resurrection. Eliot feels as if there is no resurrection possible for Europe. It is here in section V. that the past and present finally meet with a sudden and abrupt reality check. This Christ reference is to Eliot and his readers yet another allusion. Unlike the fanciful story, there will be no resurrection in his wasteland's "real-life." Finally, as he closes, writer and reader have achieved peace with understanding. Understanding that there was a time and place for beauty (the origins of his represented allusions) however that time has passed. Death has reached him, that is all there is.