The Waste Land is ostensibly a poem about the First World War and its after-effects on all aspects of life at the time – the title refers to the Europe itself after the end of the war. and the fight for reconstruction. TS Eliot himself appears to criticize war and calls for peace with the famous closing line "Shantih shantih shantih" which means "peace" in Sanskrit. Eliot said that because Europe had become so vapid and materialistic, it could not regain the dominance it had before the war. He was right: North America and Asia quickly became competitors of Europe. The poem was written during a dark period in Eliot's life, where he was committed to a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland – the fragmented and wild nature of the poem clearly reflects this. Of course, that might be irrelevant. The poem is obviously designed to be esoteric and difficult to understand, but I suppose that also means it could be interpreted in many different ways. At first glance, the poem doesn't really seem to cover the death of European culture due to war, but many aspects of the fragmented narrative suggest it does, such as the ruined rivers, the death of young Phlebas, and the thunder above the sea. jungle. The poem is seen through the eyes of Tiresias, a mythological character said to be androgynous – Eliot provided a female perspective in a male-dominated world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThomas Stearns Eliot was a writer and poet originally from Missouri, although he became a British citizen in 1927. He is known for poems such as The Waste Land, The Hollow Men and Four Quartets, as well as plays such as The Cocktail Party and Murder in the Cathedral. He was born in St. Louis in 1888 and died in London in 1965 at the age of 76. He is generally considered one of the most important poets of the 20th century. Although his work is relatively small (compared to other famous poems of the period), he is nevertheless highly regarded, having been awarded the Order of Merit (in the United Kingdom), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (in the United Kingdom), United States) and the Legion of Honor (in France). His style was somewhat satirical and critical, and one can often sense undertones of self-deprecation and doom in his work. Eliot also discusses the decline of religious authority and says that this has led people to become more belligerent and depressed overall. With the phrase “I will show you fear in a handful of dust,” he reaffirms the power of God and that we are all dust in comparison to him. The global “renaissance” that Eliot implies Europe must undergo is easily comparable to the myth of Christ. References to Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism are scattered throughout the verses. Religion was obviously important to Eliot, and he was hurt by its declining influence on the populace. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Eliot seemed depressed about the future and what it held not only for him, but for everyone. In his view, culture, intellect, devotion to religion, and other more global aspects of humanity were in decline. For him, Europe was becoming a superficial, uncultured mess, without commitment or progress. His comparison of Europe with a real desert is scathing and very critical..