"Death. Winter. City. Time"
These were the words that I scribbled on several different pages of the packet we recieved of "The Waste Land." At first reading, this poem frustrated me greatly. I couldn't form coherent thoughts in regards to the events of the poem. I couldn't make sense of anything. Yet while filled with confusion about specifics, I found myself writing these words.
I didn't have to understand precisely what events were transpiring in the speaker's life, whether it was literal or metaphorical, what religious or historical significance it held... none of those details caused me to feel the way I felt as I read Eliot's work.
I got the point without fully understanding the work. I experienced the lull of death in each word. I could feel the cold winter and hear the sounds of the city. I sensed the time passing. I felt what he intended me to feel.
So in the end, I did enjoy this poem. Anxious to gain more understanding as we discuss tomorrow!
P.S. Commented on Brannen's post!
I agree. It's the listlessness of life without a purpose. And I think it's also a hardening to the golden ages past.
ReplyDeleteI agree, although I didn't understand exactly what was happening, I think I understood the feelings Eliot was trying to provoke.
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