T.S. Eliots The Wasteland Portrait of a Desolate World - Literature Essay Samples

Upon completion of T.S. Eliots legendary poem, The Wasteland, one may experience mixed feelings about the poem as a whole. The Wasteland presents a distinct style using countless allusions; a method that previously had not been used to such extremes. The poem was written by Eliot to express his problems with society. It depicts modern society as being in the infertile part of the cycle. Throughout the poem, human beings are depicted as isolated, and sexual relations are sterile and thoughtless. Since most of Eliots allusions are not very well known to most readers, one must work through the notes that accompany the poem several times in order to better grasp its deeper meanings, but the general impressions of isolation, degeneration, and desolation are painfully apparent throughout each reading. The most prominent reasons for the dislike of the poem have been these constant allusions to other works, which further magnifies the complex nature of the poem. The Wasteland has been ac claimed as one of the most influential poems written in the 20th century and has been scrutinized and studied countless times since its publication. For the purpose of this analysis, the attention to allusion will be concentrated to part V of the poem entitled, What the Thunder Said. This is the finale of the poem and is quite important, in that it brings some closure to a very complex idea.The final section entitled, What the Thunder Said, begins with images of a journey over rough and desolate ground. The thunder is sterile; being unaccompanied by rain, but a mysterious sense of a compassionate spirit visits the traveler.Here one can neither stand nor lie nor sit/There is not even silence in the mountains/But dry sterile thunder without rain/There is not even solitude in the mountains (Lines 340-43)/And dry grass singing/But sound of water over a rock/Where the hermit-thrush sings in the pine trees (Lines 355-57).The reference to the hermit-thrush is believed to be derived from Walt Whitmans poem When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomd. One can infer that Eliot sang the song of the bleeding throat in terms of the problems that he encountered in society. An excerpt from Whitmans poem reads,In the swamp in secluded recesses,A shy and hidden bird is warbling a song.Solitary the thrush,The hermit withdrawn to himself, avoiding the settlements,Sings by himself a song.Song of the bleeding throat,Deaths outlet song of life, (for well dear brother I know,If thou wast not granted to sing thou wouldist surely die.)(Parker)Here, Whitman is making the point that a solitary creature who avoids culture sings a song, or in the case of Eliot, expresses him/her self somehow. Eliot, of course, expressed himself through written words and language in the form of poetry and stories. Whitman also makes the reference to this solitary creature, noting that if thou wast not granted to sing, thou wouldist surely die. Here Whitman is pointing out that without a song to sing, su rvival is not possible or, at least, is extremely limited. This is why Eliot alludes to this poem. He is, in essence, taking Whitmans words and applying them to himself.The next, and perhaps most vital allusion of the last section of the poem takes place in lines 400-419. According to Eliots notes, these are references to Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which is the fable that refers to the meaning of the thunder. In these stories, the main power, or almighty god represented was called Prajapati. Prajapati created three races of gods, demons, and men. To each of these groups, he appointed three different realms for each one. The gods were given heaven, man was sent to the earth, and the demons were sent to the netherworld. Each of the races asked Prajapati for advice and wisdom from which they could live by. Prajapati agreed and offered wisdom to each race. To the gods (sura), he said Damyata, which means, be restrained. To mankind (nara), he said Datta, which means, give. To th e demons (asura), he said Dayadhvam, which means, be merciful. And according to Indian legend, from that day on, when the thunder rumbles DA-DA-DA, his children know that the voice of Prajapati, the father, is calling to them; reminding them of the components that determine their true selves.DA/Datta: what have we given /DA/Dayadhvam: I have heared the key/Turn in the door once and turn once only//DA/Damyata: The boat responded(Eliot, p45).Here, Eliot is making allusion to the components of the true self according to Hindu lore. It is no coincidence that Eliot saved this allusion for the finale of his poem. He is, albeit indirectly, offering a moral story to the reader in an abstract way. Through this allusion, he is pointing to the triad of meanings, be restrained, give, and be merciful. Perhaps he is suggesting that the readers apply these traits to themselves, or perhaps Eliot is simply noting that these things are lacked in the society that he was a part of. From this po int, the poem tails off with an unconventional compilation of quotations and allusions.London Bridge is falling down falling down falling downPoi sascose nel foco che gli affinaQuando fiam uti chelidonO swallow swallowLe Prince dAquitaine a la tour abolieThese fragments I have shored against my ruinsWhy then Ile fit you. Hieronymos mad againe.Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. Shantih shantih shantih(Eliot, p46)Here, each line is in direct relation with despair and anguish. Eliot is completing the poem by offering a variety of allusions from other worksspecifically, these lines are from scenes of despair in those respective works. London Bridge is falling down is well known, as all children on the playgrounds sing it when they are young. Here, Eliot is using a basic reference of structural collapse of an entity, which can be interpreted in two specific ways. One way of viewing the reference to London Bridge is to simply look at it in terms of the other parts of the finale. As previous ly stated, each line represents some form of despair, anguish, or destruction, and perhaps Eliot simply wanted to add another reference that everyone could recognize. Another, and more probable explanation is that the London Bridge reference symbolizes the ending of the poema structural collapse consisting of abstract allusions. The next allusion, Poi sascose nel foco che gli affina refers to Dantes work Purgatorio, Canto XXVI. When translated, the line reads, then he hid himself in the fire that purifies them(Parker). Here Eliot is applying another work to himself, since it is obvious that The Wasteland has a central theme of the need for purification and that Eliot is immersing himself in his work in order to offer his view of society and perhaps to offer advice for improvement. The next line in the finale, Quando fiam uti chelidon is an allusion to the anonymous first century work entitled, Pervigilium Veneris (Parker). When translated from Latin, this line means, When shal l I become like the swallow? This line is contained in this excerpt from Pervigilium Veneris:She sings, I am mute. When will my spring come?When shall I become like the swallow, that I may cease to be voiceless?(Parker)Obviously, Eliot is using this reference in an attempt to express his wish to be heard.The next of Eliots allusions is a very important one, as it further illustrates his disparity. Le Prince dAquitaine a la tour abolie refers to Gerard de Nervals El Desdichado(Parker). The translation of this line is, The Prince of Aquitaria whose tower has been torn down. Here, too, is a reference to collapse and destruction. The reference is included in this excerpt from Nervals sonnet:I am the dark man, the disconsolate widower, the prince of Aquitania whose tower has been torn down:My sole star is dead, and my constellated luteBears the black sun of Melancholia(Parker)The final two lines of The Wasteland are Eliots last attempt to be heard and to offer wisdom to society. H e is basically referring back to the Hindu triad of restraint, generosity, and mercyDatta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. He completes his work with the words Shantih shantih shantih. This final reference to Brihadaranyaka Upanishad can be feebly translated, as Eliot calls it, as The peace which passeth understanding(Parker).T.S. Eliot believed that the modern society was without a vital sense of togetherness and spirituality. In the final piece of his poem The Wasteland, he is alluding to the elements that society was lacking and needed to regain. The entire poem is a journey through a series of conversations and scenes that lead through a wasteland. The reader of the poem travels through the wasteland seemingly without hope but learns a valuable lesson at the end of the journey. Eliot applied the triad of self-restraint, giving, and compassion to himself and also offered it to the reader at the end of a long journey through a desolate world and a disillusioned society.BibliographyPark er, Richard A. Exploring the Wasteland. September, 1997. http://world.std.com/~raparker/exploring/thewasteland/table/explore6.htmlEliot, T.S. The Wasteland and Other Poems. San Diego, New York, London: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1934.

The Influence of Durkheim on Modern Criminological...

The ‘father of academic sociology’ (Hopkins Burke, 2006), Emile Durkheim believed that crime was an important necessity in every society as it played important functional roles in the maintenance of social cohesion, the continuity of social progress and the establishment and reinforcement of societal norms. He stated that criminality was a normal phenomenon, its influence prevalent even on the most saintly of societies. Durkheim’s theories regarding the normality and inevitability of crime, along with his influential concepts of anomie, the division of labour and mechanical and organic solidarity, had a lasting effect on the field of criminological study, particularly in subsequent research conducted by fellow populist theorists of the†¦show more content†¦Crime serves and adaptive function by allowing change and development in not only the social system, but also the legal system. A particular crime, for example, may evoke high degrees of moral outrage f rom members of a community, which in turn may lead to the amendment of related legislations in an effort to further criminalise future events of a similar nature and appease the public. On the other hand, modernisation of a society, which is followed by the revision and reestablishment of social norms and goals, acts previously deemed immoral and criminal in traditionalist communities may be decriminalised and become entrenched as a perfectly acceptable lifestyle choice. Durkheim mentions Socrates as an example of crime fulfilling an adaptive function. Socrates’ philosophies were regarded as dangerous, whilst he was seen as a criminal and condemned to death by his own society, today he is recognised as one of the most brilliant and advanced minds of his generation. Crimes other vital function involves the reinforcement or particular norms and legislations. 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Persuasive Essay About Vaccines And Vaccinations - 2223 Words

Hailey Chirhart Paul Reid English Composition 2 June 8, 2015 Persuasive Essay Rough Draft You and your significant other have just found out that you’re pregnant. You will carry the baby for 9 months and you will protect it with your own body, but what happens after birth? What kind of protection should you provide them with? The question is to vaccinate, or to not vaccinate? First off, let’s start with what a vaccine is. A vaccine is a substance that produces antibodies and provides immunity against one or many diseases. A vaccine is made up and prepared with the disease that causes it, its products, or a synthetic substitute. It’s treated to act like an antigen without producing the disease. So to simplify this, patients are injected†¦show more content†¦Having the immunity when your child is exposed to the disease is extremely important. Vaccines have come a long way and many diseases have been eradicated due to people choosing to vaccinate. One of the risks of choosing to not vaccinate your child is that it doesn’t just affect their health; it potentially affects the health of those around them. For example, say your child does contract a disease such as measles and is in daycare or at the hospital being treated for it. In that time your child could potentially spread the disease to other children that are either unprotected because they aren’t old enough to receive the vaccine yet, or have compromised immune systems due to something such as cancer or someone suffering from kidney failure and they are unable to receive any live vaccines, or children who have received the vaccine and still have a low immunity against the disease. Choosing to vaccinate your child will protect people around your child, and that’s the ultimate goal with vaccines is to protect the health of the general public. Along with protecting people around your child, you also want to be protected too because you could contract the disease as well and in turn, miss days at work. If yourShow MoreRelatedShould Vaccines Be Mandatory1492 Words   |  6 PagesShould Vaccinations be Mandatory? This essay will attempt to investigate the employment of the 23 plus vaccinations used today and how they defend the preventions and spread of diseases. The paper will support the pros and the cons of vaccinations that are supported by research statistics as well as the different symptoms that have been reported for each available vaccine. What is a vaccine? Vaccines have been defined as the development of depleted or killed microscopic organismsRead MoreEssay about Arguments for and Against Mandatory Vaccination2269 Words   |  10 PagesMandating the HPV Vaccination: A Controversial Debate Background: The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus responsible for cervical cancer. It is one the most common viral sexually transmitted infections. A vaccine was approved in 2006 that is effective in preventing the types of HPV responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. Proposals for routine and mandatory HPV vaccination of girls have become sources of controversy for parents of school-aged youth, legislators, membersRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesUniversity of Colorado at Denver; Dean J. Nelson, Dutchess Community College; James E. Parejko, Chicago State University; Robert Sessions, Kirkwood Community College; and Stephanie Tucker, California State University Sacramento. Thinking and writing about logical reasoning has been enjoyable for me, but special thanks go to my children, Joshua, 8, and Justine, 3, for comic relief during the months of writing. This book is dedicated to them. For the 2012 edition: This book is dedicated to my wife

Words Form the Thread on Which We String Our Experiences free essay sample

Aldous Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of his family, the well-known Huxley family. He is best and most commonly known for his novel, Brave New World. He was a humanist, pacifist, and satirist, was interested in subjects of spirituality like parapsychology, which incorporates paranormal phenomena’s such as telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, psycho kinesis, near-death experiences, and reincarnation. He was also an advocator for psychedelics, a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter cognition and perception. George Orwell’s idea of Sapir-Whorf is the linguistic theory that semantic structure of languages shapes or limits the ways in which a speaker forms conceptions of the world. This theory was named after the American anthropological linguist Edward Sapir, and Benjamin Whorf who was his student. In the 20th century, the theory that the language people speak controls how they think, was popular among behaviorists. Sapir Whorf tells the idea that human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are at the â€Å"mercy† of the language of their culture. We will write a custom essay sample on Words Form the Thread on Which We String Our Experiences or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In George Orwell’s book Nineteen Eighty-four, he addresses the idea of â€Å"newspeak†, which is where words are taken out of the character’s vocabulary. This can be seen to influence their thoughts by decreasing the number of associations to connect the word with. Language influences thoughts about the real world. We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because of the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation. The hypothesis can be seen to show that language influences how people categorize their experiences. For example, the Inuit people have many words for â€Å"snow†, which causes them to perceive snow differently than those who know only one word. By having more words to define â€Å"snow†, it is perceived as a more crucial part of their lives. Aldous Huxley’s quote â€Å"Words form the thread on which we string our experiences† can be paralleled to the theory of Sapir Whorf. He is ultimately saying that words and their connotations can help define an experience. When certain words are associated with experiences, they can be seen to influence the thoughts of that person about that situation. Words can also provoke emotions, such as crying or laughter, which can create a positive or negative view on an experience. An example would be if an experience were described as â€Å"a sunny, cheerful day in the vibrant park†, positive thoughts and emotions would be brought to mind because of the words â€Å"cheerful†, â€Å"sunny†, and â€Å"vibrant†. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley proves that experience is influenced by words and culture. At an early age, the people of Brave New World are taught to view certain things and experiences as positive or negative. In their sleep, biased words are whispered to them to help reinforce these beliefs of the society. The words already put into their minds influence their experiences by having already associated certain ideas with a negative or positive connotation. This is directly related to the idea that words influence thoughts and opinions of an experience, or Sapir Whorf. Some problems that could be associated with this idea of words defining our experiences can be related to Brave New World. In this book, the characters are influenced by the words that are whispered to them, which limits their ability to make their own opinions of certain experiences. This limitation can lead to the idea that words are all that experiences are. A problem with this idea in general is the similar arguments that people have against the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. We are not able to prove that thoughts are affected by words or vice versa.