T. S. Eliot's "Preludes"

Paper Summary:

This essay analyses the way T. S. Eliot expresses his view on modern urban life and his feelings of social classes and society using what seems to be simple imagery with a more complex underlying meaning to them. It examines how the series of poems in "Preludes" (I, II, III, IV) offer a more detailed exploration of the poem, showing how modern city life and its dwellers are void of spirituality and meaning.

From the Paper:

"The adjective of "smoky" suggests a lack of vision and emphasizes the feeling of loss of vitality together with the presence of urban squalor. Eliot joins images of decadence and disintegration with images that we usually associate with the modern urban surroundings, such as "steaks" and "cigarettes". He places these ordinary images onto a context that suggests a criticism of the modern world and lifestyle, which he emphasizes with images of dirt and decay, such as "The grimy scraps". The image of "withered leaves" again point to the winter motif, creating a clear picture of death and decline. Eliot is not only referring to leaves here, but uses this image, through association, to connect to the general idea of loss of meaning in the modern urban world, exposing a world that is falling apart."

More papers on T. S. Eliot's "Preludes":

• Poem Review # 91742 : "Preludes" by T.S. Eliot"
• Poem Review # 108963 : "Preludes"
• Analytical Essay # 6447 : "T. S. Eliot: The Poetic Mind"

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