Critical Analysis of Allusions and Symbols In The Poem The Wasteland by Thomas Stearns Eliot

Abstract

Modern man is spiritually hollow and barren; he is just like a robot that follows the pre-assigned tasks. He wakes up early in the morning, changes his dress, takes his breakfast, goes to office, takes his lunch, returns to his home, spends time with family, takes dinner, goes to his bed and next day in the morning again follows the same routine. Modern man is inhabitant of Wasteland, although he has gained progress in science and materialistic culture, yet he has no values, he is spiritually dead. He has only one eye of Commerce his spiritual eye is closed, so he is spiritually blind. Few of the reasons for modern man's destruction are sex perversities and gambling, making false love and religious waywardness. He is confined to his routine work and helpless to act upon his religious doctrines or moral values. Religion is the only way to get deliverance, man is mortal he can be immortal just like the Holy Christ by adopting the message of God. The poem "The Wasteland" digs the graves of ancients and shows us their immoral activities, waywardness and spiritual barrenness and this is the great craftsmanship of the poet. Through the symbolic and allusive analysis of this poem the researcher will try to show the images of hollowness and barrenness in the present age.