The modernist text “The Waste Land” By T.S Eliot can be described as “epic poem” that metaphorically captures the collective sense of post-war emotions that took over the world. Soci- ety at the time has gone through the two wars in the years that modernist text began to appear. The purpose of these texts is to give awareness to the downfall of society after a traumatic expe- rience. Modernists text are often texts that are not traditional written and offers an insight to the change needed in the structure of society yet they are usually open to personal interruption.

According to the article “The Main Characteristics of modernists literature” By J.Patrick, Modernist Literature contains five aspects: Individualism, Absurdity, Symbolism, Formality, and Realism. “The Waste Land” contains these five aspects through out the the five sections of the poem. The Individualism can be found by how each character is the main character in the text and the author uses them as metaphors for his bigger idea. The Absurdity can be found in how the characters in the first sections feel that the world around them is not normal. In the last sec- tion of the text, “What The thunder Said”, imagery and symbolism is used by incorporating reli- gion and imagery.

“What The Thunder Said” in depth as a Modernist Text :

The ending of the poem shifts in the tone and propose into a more terrifying text. I think the author is attempting to given people a greater sense of urgency about the need to for the world to change. In addition this shift is also part of the new literally movement in Modernist text where the standard way of telling a story is written in fragments as the author thinks. This new way of writing allows the author to express their ideas in more creative ways. Additionally, the ending of “The Waste Land” shows realism as it is written with the purpose of showing the corruption of the world but in a metaphorical sense.

The author includes elements from the Upanishads and the Bible. I believe these details are included to bring attention about the lack of it in the moment the text was written. The author may believe that society has strayed away from “goodness”. Religion often gives people hope and it contains the element of “Rebirth” or starting over. In the “A Game of Chess” section, the author includes imagery about a woman who takes a pill to induce her miscarriage. I believe this detail was added to show the need for a new beginning and how a new life would have not thrived in the current state of the new modern world. Religion can be a direction for a new be- ginning for humanity. This plot element could also be argued to be bringing awareness to the controversy of abortion, but I believe it has been added to metaphorically speak about rebirth in a different state of the world.

The ending of the poem is shifted again for a more optimistic tone that offers the audience with hope by including a non-abrahamic religion to using the Upanishads in line 433-434 in the poem. This is the authors way of bringing a sense of peace that might be present in the future.

Work Cited

“The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot - Poems | Academy of American Poets.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, poets.org/poem/waste-land.

Patrick, Josh. “The Main Characteristics of Modernist Literature.” Pen and the Pad, 10 Jan. 2019, penandthepad.com/main-characteristics-modernist-literature-8451197.html.