Contrast the Past with the Present in The Waste LandEliot contrasts the past with the present in several ways throughout his poem, The Waste Land. The simplest of these is the simple juxtaposition of one or more descriptions of the present immediately before or after one or more descriptions of the past. The most obvious of these is the second section, in which two descriptions of the present (lines 111-139 and 140-172) immediately follow a description of the past (lines 77-110). In this case, juxtaposition is used to bring the modern attitude towards sex and love closer to an attitude from the past. In the first part of the second section, the description opens with a reference to the description of Antony and Cleopatra's first meeting in Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra, and Eliot's footnote explicitly refers the reader at this passage. The love and passion of Antony and Cleopatra was an event that changed the future of the Roman Empire and, in turn, influenced the direction of the Western world. This passage is rich and enticing in detail, controlled in its tone, and coherent in its structure. In contrast, the passage that immediately follows can be seen as a conversation between Eliot and his wife, Vivian, who has slowly been driven mad throughout their marriage. Unlike the passion of Antony and Cleopatra, Eliot's love for Vivian was hopeless and powerless. This central passage of the second section is Spartan in detail, with a distressed tone and disjointed structure. The final part of the second section, which also contrasts with the first section, consists of what could be a conversation overheard in a pub. Two speakers discuss a conversation one of them previously had, in which that speaker remonstrates with another...... middle of paper ...... This failure of the present is often, but not always, of a sexual nature. Works Cited and consulted: Abrams, MH, et al. Footnotes to “The Waste Land” in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, sixth edition, volume 2. Ed. Mr. H. Abrams. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1993. Abrams, M. H. et al. Introduction to “The Waste Land” in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, sixth edition, volume 2. Ed. Mr. H. Abrams. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1993. Eliot, Thomas Stearns. Footnotes to “The Waste Land” in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, sixth edition, volume 2. Ed. Mr. H. Abrams. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1993. Eliot, Thomas Stearns. "The Waste Land" in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, sixth edition, volume 2. Ed. Mr. H. Abrams. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1993.