Preludes by T.S Eliot - Book Report/Review Example

Insert Love “Preludes” is an early poem composed by T.S Eliot. It was composed between the year 1910and 1911. The poem in itself is divided into four parts, it is the created on the associative structure of metaphors that describe an ordinary urban life, disconnected, and unsociable filled with hostility and meaninglessness. In addition, the imagery in the poem “preludes” allows Eliot to express his disappointment in the current life with ease. Moreover, the first part introduces the context; Eliot uses imagery to describe the winter evening and clearly shows how the city itself is unmanaged. His attitude towards the modern life and the city is negative. Eliot chooses winter, which is a gloomy season and compares it to the city. Eliot is bitter about modernization and how the city is destroyed as they drift from their norms, which are clear from daily activities and the consequences befalling the society. The illness of the society The mention of a horse in lines 12 “A lonely cab-horse streams and stamps” (12) is a sparkling, pleasant addition that contrasts the unpleasant tone earlier seen. After this, the mood shifts from joyful back to the sad feeling from human behavior. Besides, the style he chooses is general and symbolic. The second part moves to the unending widespread of illness."The mourning comes to consciousness of faint stale smells of beer", moving towards the coffee shop in the morning indicate the monotonous action that is rather inconsequential and empty of meaning. In addition, the imagery seen near the end is rather not concrete here. "One think of all the hands that are raising dingy shades in a thousand furnished rooms". These lines highlight a sense of insignificance in figures, and temporariness. Urban life is seen as a day-to-day celebration of covering self. In that respect, the third part defines the you rather, undertaking the monotonous evening tasks in relation to modern life in the city. The ‘you’ struggles in the night with the disgusting images. The clear images are in the inner ‘you’ from the outer world, which is of low moods. Notion of the soiled hands The ‘you’ reads newspapers to avoid the images he dreams of and takes on the soles of his/her feet using his hands to forget the days torment and get fast asleep “You curled the papers from your hair or clasped the yellow soles of feet in the palms of both soiled hands.” The soiled hands are because of days’ work. In that regard, the hands were soiled from the dirt in the city and filth from the modernization, which has destroyed the city. In addition, the restoration from the filth comes in by natural occurrence crept in and sweet song from the sparrow a songbird: “And the light crept up between the shutters and you heard the sparrows in the gutters” (31-32). The light is described as obstructive since it was not illuminated. Moreover, though there is light, the streets remain gloomy the streets have no understanding of its surrounding since it is permanently gloomy. Every modern phenomenon is described as uncomfortable. The fourth part is the last in Eliot’s poem “preludes”; it concludes the experiences of city life. Daily activities in the society Night arrives again in the city, which explains the city streets “or affected through insistent feet” (41) these are people going back home after a day’s hassle. Some are smoking others are carrying the newspapers but not satisfied: and Short Square fingers stuffing pipes and evening newspapers, and eyes that assured them with certainties this seems the daily city routine. “Conscience of a blackened street” (46) this statement shows how the people have lost hopes for tomorrow, they see the world as a doomed place there exist a power which forces them accept the society the way it is. In that regard, the line “The notion of some infinitely gentle infinitely suffering thing” ignites Hope (50-51) this line refers to Jesus, who the society rely on for hope. Despite the harsh society, they believe in the divine source of hope. That is the reason why, God is there to save humanity from modernization as Eliot thinks. At last, Eliot thinks that it can be impossible for God to save the whole world, which makes “The worlds revolve like ancient women” (53). However, the world is still undergoing a nonstop process, which still depicts the monotonous routines the society goes through on a daily basis “revolve”. The state of the society The last line of the poem: “Gathering fuel in vacant lots” (54) shows a miserable and a society filled with terror. It is for that reason that, the ‘vacant lots’, as used by Eliot, is a reflection of the first line which explained how the society Eliot lives in and portrays is corrupt, deserted and fragmented. The poem ‘preludes’ has in it a number of themes; the theme of suffering, as shown when live, is seen as full of monotonous routine leading to boredom. It is here that people are seen rushing with no enjoyment of their daily life; they live in the dark environment. Another theme is the nature of life in the city which shows the day and night activities in the city. In addition, daytime people are seen moving to coffee stands and rushing home while at night everyone is lonely trying to get sleep. On the other hand, women and men are other themes from the poem; men are portrayed as busy beings they live a life full of certainty. Women are portrayed as prostitutes; they spent their daily lives getting ready for the male clients. They use newspapers to curl their hair while men read the newspapers. Conclusion The theme of pretending that is depicted when the people in the city are shown to be living double lives. They are as seen to be taking coffee during the day but take beer during the night. They appear to live respectful in life during the day while at night they are tormented by their acts, most of them have a sordid night “The thousand images of which your soul was constituted” (27-28). The dirty streets, soiled hands and portray poverty are evident through the episode. Women sell their bodies for money, and they use newspapers to make curls on their hair. Read More