Bushra Othman Sidiq

Poetry Course\2-23-2024

Fourth Assignment

Major Themes and Symbols in the Wasteland

A symbol is a physical object that is used to represent an abstract idea. The word " symbol " comes
from the Greek word " symballein ", which means " to put together ", and the word " symbolon ", which
means " mark ", " taken ", or " sign ".Symbolism is a late-nineteenth-century poetry and art movement
that originated in France. ( Hasan, Qasim & Zrar 34). In this poem there are many symbols:

1. Water

Eliot uses water symbolism to express his emotions not only for religion, life, death, and
technology but also about the way of life of a man in his period. This goal is met by displaying a
graphical representation of the state of the Thames River, which is considered as London's cultural heart.
The river is portrayed as dusty, filthy, and dripping with tar and oil. It expresses Eliot's disdain for his
era's moral and cultural decay. Water is a metaphor for both life and death in T.S. Eliot's poetry. Although
water can bring back a life, it can also result in drowning and death like Philip the sailors’ case in the
wasteland. Eliot's characters wait for the water to quench their thirst, watch rivers fill up their banks,
plead for the rain to replenish the parched ground, and walk past fetid pools of stagnant water. In the first
section, there are five specific references to water. The spring rain and the shower of rain stated at the
beginning point to a full and worthwhile existence. Nevertheless, it is merely a desire or a readiness for a
good life, not a reality. The exact opposite is true, as seen by the dead trees, barren rocks, and dry, bleak
surroundings. Eliot deftly incorporates a reference to the dual nature of water within this harsh
environment when he cites the dry stone without any sound of water, a clear allusion to the Biblical
narrative in which Moses obtained water from the stones (Ibid )

In Section two, its direct references to hot water “The hot water at ten.” and rainwater are items of
personal pleasure for the individuals. They are nothing more than substitutes for the warmth and comfort
of a pleasant domestic life. The fourth chapter is the most indicative of this symbol, Death by Water,
additionally, it describes in detail drowning death. The sea is the greatest body of water on earth, and it is
where all water ultimately ends up. In essence, it is a mystery to man that cannot be understood. Eliot
used phrases like "undersea current" and "entering the whirlpool" to depict a different side of water in
order to depict it well. And this demonstrates amply the potent destructive power of water. The incident
of Phlebas the Phoenician's drowning illustrates the abrasive character of water as a destroyer. All of
Phlebas' power and beauty have been lost to the water. Ironically, in the first and second sections of the
poem, a scarcity of water is to blame for human issues. Water serves as the primary structural element of
the poem "The Waste Land" because of its enigmatic capacity to both harm and save lives (Ibid 41).

Section five also explains water, but different from section four. Sadness caused by the lack of even a
single drop of water is expressed through short, punctuation-free sentences. The Biblical reference to
Moses pulling water from the rocks is brought up again here. There is a desperate search for one drop of
water which is a connection between water and belief, to sum it up, in this poem, water becomes a symbol
of death, life destruction, and also regeneration (Ibid).

2. Animals

2.1 The Cricket

The Waste Land is an area that is devoid of big animals because humans have ruined it. A wide
variety of species cannot live here happily. And as a result, only scavengers and insects that can survive
in the harshest environment remain on the land after large animals like mammals have disappeared.
Cricket is the poem's first animal that Eliot mentions. Eliot demonstrates this in a visual and audible way.
The land described in the second portion is serene, but the sound of the cricket disturbs this peace and
prevents people from finding solace, as he stated in line 23: "no relief" (Ibid 42). The cricket resides in
the desert, where "the dead tree" (line 23), "the sun beats" (line 23), and "the dry stone no sound of water"
(line 24) are all present. This mental image of a cricket in the desert is accessible to the viewer. Because it
"calls and calls, knowing that the secret to the fulfillment of his desire is to ask and keep asking," the
cricket is a symbol for unfulfilled longing. The speaker in the poem metaphorically begs to be rescued
and requests water like a cricket, but these wishes are never granted.

2.2 Rats

Another category of animal mentioned in the poem is rats. The speaker's words, "I think we are in
rats' alley/where the dead men lost their bones," express his desperation and disappointment. (Lines 115-
116). Rats are creatures that inhabit filthy, underdeveloped areas.The moral sterility of humanity is
symbolized by their literal sterility. Rats are also a representation of oppression and greed. By bringing up
this image, the speaker laments and expresses his displeasure at being forced to live in a society where
everyone is selfish and lacks compassion. The universe lacks goodness and is materialistic. Like rodents
are the cause of terrible infections, selfish people are the cause of economic and social ''diseases'' that
harm the underprivileged. Eliot uses the image of a rat as a symbol for the starving of people and animals
in the wasteland when he writes, "A rat crept softly through the vegetation/dragging its slimy belly on the
bank" (lines 186–187). Torture is applied to everyone and everything. Eliot compares rodents to "The
King" (line 191), which allows him to attack those in positions of authority since they are like parasitic
rats that prey on the weak (Ibid 42).

2.3 Gulls

The gulls are the animal that is mentioned. Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead, / Forgot the
cry of gulls, and the deep-sea swell/ And the profit and loss,'' a line from the poem, personifies the gulls
as the word "cry." (Line 312-314). Eliot associates gulls with the Phoenician trader and sailor who passes
away and abandons the gulls in his auditory and visual depiction. These birds typically serve as a signal to
sailors that they are getting close to land. Gulls are directional symbols. Phlebas loses his bearings and
drowns in the water because he is unable to remember the "cry of the gulls." In addition, gulls represent
individual independence. Ironically, Phlebas forgets the ''cry of the gulls,'' indicating that he is not free
like the gulls. This suggests that the trader perished as a result of his concern with worldly interests and
selfishness, which is the antithesis of free gulls and all that matters in his life is "profit and loss" (Ibid 43).
 3. The Fisher King

The Waste Land is based on the tale of the Fisher King, a god of fertility. The tale describes a
country that becomes barren after its monarch receives a curse via a castration wound. The Fisher King is
watching over the Holy Grail while fishing without giving up in his Waste Land. The Fisher King must be
healed and the land regenerated for a noble hero to complete the challenge of reclaiming the grail and
demonstrating his heroism. This will bring the kingdom's land back to fruition and the kino to fertility
oncemore.The Waste Land is contemplation on dying and an examination of what has been lost.The entir
e planet was slowly dying, much like the doomed Fisher Kino kingdom.The Fisher King, who has lost ev
erything, sits and muses over his formerly prosperous realm.There is still some optimism that what was lo
st can be recovered despite his sorrow and grief.If only a great hero would save the Fisher King, he could
be saved and healed.The anguish and degradation of society and its values are all that can be found in the
Waste Land; there is no indication of hope (Hassan 31).

4. Drought

The poem illustrates the effects of the war on the mind and body. The narrator of the poem compares
death to drought. "The only things in the area are rocks, a dusty road, and no water. There is noise
everywhere—even in the mountains. (lines 331-333).The narrator added to the suspense of waiting for
rain by observing that even thunder, which indicates a probability of rain, is "sterile." any chance of rain
in this severely damaged ecosystem. A representation of the division between humans and nature: In the
poem "The Waste Land’s second section, "Game of Chess," the narrator mocks modern civilization for
severing its ties to nature (Hasan, Qasm & Zrar 43).

5. Flowers

Many flowers have been used in Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’ in a symbolic way. In T. S. Eliot’s ‘The
Waste Land’ Lilacs and Hyacinths: are two flowers that are used as a symbol of sadness. Eliot used
several flowers in his poem like lavender, dahlia, lotus, roses, and many other flowers in a different
meaning. Although Lilacs and Hyacinthsare different their symbolic meanings are met and accomplished
in the text.

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), a type of flower in the Oleaceae family, commonly called lilac. Greek
myth has its story. In Greek mythology, Syringa, a nymph, was the object of the lonely love of Pan, the
god of woodlands. She was afraid of Pan's advances when he was once trailing her through a wood. She
was forced to transform into a lilac tree in order to hide her identity. Due to the lilac tree's hollow reeds,
Pan unexpectedly discovered the tree when he thought he couldn't find her. He created the "first pan pipe"
after chopping the reeds.

On the other hand, Hyacinthus, a member of the Asparagaceae family, is a flower. It has its own
story and dates back to Greek myth. ''It is rooted in Greek mythology, where the tragic figure Hyakinthos
was Apollo's lover. The prince of Sparta was called Hyakinthos. Apollo, like other gods, was enchanted
by his youth and good looks. Apollo was killed after he was injured by his discus at Hyakinthos while
practicing. Most people believe that the other gods were responsible for Hyakinthos' demise. Zephyr, the
deity of the wind, most likely killed him out of jealously Due to Apollo's intense rage, he prevented death
from taking Hyakinthos' body. Instead, he "spewed the drops of blood from the young man's head onto
the earth and there blossomed the flower of Hyacinth, known today as the Larkspur flower" (Ibid 44).

The Hyacinth narrative, on the other hand, shares characteristics with "The Waste Land," such as
the suggestion of a wish that is thwarted and anguish over a loved one's passing. In the flower, there is a
glimpse of the catastrophe. Eliot's hyacinths are consequently tinged with grief and longing, which is
consistent with the passage's mood. The sad thing about these two flowers is that the land has been
destroyed, and there is no hope for these two flowers to grow again. Maybe Eliot’s only hope is the
afterlife the purple lilacs mentioned by Eliot in "The Waste Land" are the lilacs that symbolize first love.
In general, lilacs represent love, however in this context, they represent the sadness and negativity of the
loss of innocent individuals, including women and children, during the World War I (Ibid 45).

Lilacs and hyacinths stand in for two worlds: the world of the time of wars and revolutions, and
Eliot's own intimate existence, which was at the time quite unpleasant and dismal. Eliot utilizes lovely
flowers as a result to conceal his unhappiness. Like the ambiguous matter of flowers that are both
beautiful and poisonous at the same time, it may be claimed that both of these realms are equally full of
sad events for the author and all of humanity. When there is no killing, people are as beautiful as flowers;
yet, when they start world wars, their innocence and beauty vanish (Ibid).

6. The Fire Sermon

The Waste Land's third portion, "The Fire Sermon," concentrates on fire, the third component of
creation. The source of warmth and therefore life itself is fire. It is well known that too much fire destroys
life, and the poet attempts to characterize the modern world as one that is engulfed in the fire of lust and
wicked passion by using the destructive qualities of fire. He uses the metaphor of the polluted river and
the pictures of nude bodies and dry bones in this section to make a point about it ( Kumar 196).

Themes:

1. Death

The passages of the poem titled "The Burial of the Dead" and "Death by Water" especially address
this subject. The fact that death can also mean life, so opening the door for future lives, confuses issues.
That body you planted in your garden last year, Eliot asks his friend Stetson, "Has it started to sprout?
What about blooming this year? Similar to this, by "dying," Christ redeemed humanity and consequently
offered new life. The repeated allusions to Dante, especially in the Limbo-like vision of the men
streaming across London Bridge and through the modern metropolis, resound with the murky journey
between life and death (Kumar 194).

2 Rebirth

The poem's depictions of Christ and the numerous other religious analogies place rebirth and
resurrection as its main topics. A fresh start is required since the Waste Land is fallow and the Fisher
King is powerless. Water, for instance, has the power to both create and destroy. In the dramatic dialogue
with the heavens, the poet eventually turns to Heaven, saying, "Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata." The main
theme of Eliot's vision is a world that is neither dying nor living; to end the spell, a fundamental change,
possibly an ineffable one, is necessary. That sacred chalice can restore life and wipe the slate clean, thus
the Grail's repeated appearances in the poem. Eliot also regularly makes reference to baptisms and rivers,
both of which are "life-givers," in either a spiritual or natural sense (Kumar 194).

3 The Seasons

The first line of "The Waste Land" refers to April as "the cruellest month." Eliot's decision to portray
spring as cruel is puzzling, yet as a paradox, it greatly influences the rest of the poem. In the same way
that history maintains some form of stasis, the seasons fluctuate, rotating from one state to another, but
not everything changes; what produces birth also brings death. Eliot's "waste land" eventually becomes
practically seasonless since it lacks rain, reproduction, and actual change. The arrival of a new season
causes the globe to linger in a state of eternal limbo (Ibid 195).

4. Lust

A female typist's relationship with a "carbuncular" man is featured in perhaps the most well-known
episode of "The Waste Land." Eliot describes the incident as like a rape. The mythical baggage of this
accidental sexual encounter includes the violated Philomela and the blind Tiresias who formerly lived as a
woman. The theme of sexuality permeates "The Waste Land," and it takes center stage as the disaster's
primary cause in "The Fire Sermon." However, in "What the Thunder Said," Eliot argues that "a
moment's surrender" is a necessary aspect of life. Even though sex is too accessible and common in
Eliot's London and lust is a sin, taking action is still preferable to doing nothing. Sex that creates life,
revitalizes, and heals is what is required; in other words, sex that is not "sterile." (Kumar 196)

5. Love

According to the allusions to Tristan und Isolde from "The Burial of the Dead," Cleopatra from "A
Game of Chess," and Tereus and Philomela's love story from "The Waste Land," love in this novel is
frequently destructive. Tereus rapes Philomela, Tristan and Cleopatra perish, and even the poet's love for
the hyacinth girl causes him to see and understand "nothing."

6.History

According to Eliot, history repeats itself, Eliot rephrases this claim, arguing that the more things
change the more they stay the same. He replaces a line from Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" with "the
sound of horns and motors," invokes Dante upon the modern London Bridge, bustling with commuter
traffic, and notices the Ionian columns of a bar on Lower Thames Street teeming with fishermen. He links
a lewd affair between a typist and a young man to Sophocles via the figure of Tiresias. The ancient and
medieval coexist beside each other, as do the Renaissance and the centuries that will come after. History
blurs into nothing. Eliot's poem is filled with layers of history, like a street in Rome or Athens
(https://www.gradesaver.com/the-waste-land/study-guide/themes) .

Works Cited

- Hasan, Mariwan etal. ‘Symbolism and Imagism in T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”: An Analytical
Approach’. METATHESIS: JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LITERATURE AND
 TEACHING, Vol. 6, No. 1, April 2022 PP 28-49. DOI: 10.31002/metathesis.v6i1.141 p-ISSN:
2580-2712 e-ISSN: 2580-2720,
- Haasn, Lauren "The Revival of Myth: Allusions and Symbols in The Wasteland," Ephemeris:
Vol. 3 . (2003). Available at: https://digitalcommons.denison.edu/ephemeris/vol3/iss1/8
- Kumar , Sanjeev . “The Theme of Decay and Destruction in Eliot’s THE WASTE LAND “
Parisheelan Vol.-XIV, No.-2, 2018, ISSN 0974 7222.
http://crm.skspvns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/34-Dr.-Sanjeev-Kumar.pdf.
- https://www.gradesaver.com/the-waste-land/study-guide/themes) .