T.S. Eliot

April 12, 2009 Jessica Finne
Tags: Depression, Insecurity, T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, War

Jessica Finne

Ms. Bazinet/Ms. Robbins

Honors English III

13 April 2009

Depression in Poetry

Throughout various works of art, including novels, poetry, and playwrights, writers usually incorporate a constant theme throughout the story.  Romance, comedy, tragedy, struggle, grief are all universal themes of stories.  Even more specifically, certain writers may have an outlying theme that reoccurs throughout multiple works.  For instance, T.S. Eliot seems to incorporate the idea of depression or an emotionally heavy subject in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” “The Hollow Men” and ”The Waste Land.”  As Penelope Sweet once said, “Depression is nourished by a lifetime of ungrieved and unforgiven hurts.”  T.S. Eliot is able to link together “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” “The Hollow Men” and ”The Waste Land” through the idea of depression. 

In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” the reader learns of a man of insecurities, fears and doubts.  J. Alfred Prufrock, the main character, narrates his own experience at a party one night.  As the poem progresses Prufrock’s weariness and doubtfulness become more apparent.  “Do I Dare?” he asks himself in lines 37-46.  Prufrock questions enter the room full of people, whether he should “disturb the universe” or just “turn back and descend the stair[s].”  It soon becomes obvious why Prufrock has become so fearful and nervous.  Tonight he wishes to ask a woman to marry him.  In lines 13-14 and lines 35-36, however, Prufrock mocks himself saying that he is neither as interesting nor impressive as the artwork of Michelangelo, which the desirable woman is observing.  After gathering up enough courage to approach the women, Prufrock quickly loses faith in himself and just wishes and believe he “should have been a pair of ragged claws/ Scuttling across the floors of silent seas” (line 70).  Prufrock believes he is good for nothing. By line 118 Prufrock has given up hope and realizes that his chance with the woman has passed by him completely.  The disastrous outcome of this encounter lowers his morale even more, making him believe that no goal of his is capable of achieving.  The last line of this weary poem, “Till human wake us, and we drown,” could be perceived as the death of his hope but even though the meaning may not be clear, it is clear that the intention of the line is to emphasis the main theme of depression.

      Just from the title, “The Hollow Men”, T.S. Eliot gives you an impression of emptiness.  The characters are established to be men who have survived traumatizing events of a war.  Lines 13-18, “Those who have crossed/With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom/Remember us – if at all – not as lost/Violent souls, but only/As the hollow men/The stuffed men,” implies that the men remember how the war took lives of their friends and enemies.  After living and seeing so much death and destruction, the men cannot help but feel empty and lost.  T.S. Eliot may even be implying the idea of “Post Dramatic Stress Disorder” which is when traumatic events in a person’s life stick with them and makes it impossible for the person to ever feel whole or completely happy again.  All the death and destruction has caused the loss of hope and life in these worn and torn soldiers.  “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “The Hollow Men” both incorporate the idea that the loss of hopes prevents happiness and the ability to move on in life. 

      “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot focuses on the conflicts of class and world issues. Throughout the poem, multiple speakers express themselves, but all tend to have a depressed tone.  The first speaker is depressed about the season changing from winter to spring because winter holds the best memories for her.  The second speaker is a very nervous and almost crazy person, who hears noises and feels the need to have someone by her side at all times.  ““’My nerves are bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with me.’” And “’What is that noise?’ The wind under the door. ‘What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?’ Nothing again nothing.’” (Lines 111, Lines 117-120)  The third speaker is upset yet indifferent about situations she has been put in.  Even though she did not want to be assaulted by a man, she did not try to get out of the predicament.  In the end, the speaker’s situation results in her being in pain and in the state of depression.  “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot may have more speakers and situations but the Eliot’s main theme of depression stay strong throughout.

      In each of these poems, an unforgiven or ungrieved hurt resulted in depression. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” the rejection and insecurities he had always faced in life resulted in his loss of hope. The death and conspiracy in “The Hollow Men” resulted in the feeling of emptiness. Finally, in “The Waste Land,” the destruction of war resulted in nervousness and indifference towards all situations. Depression is a major theme throughout T.S. Eliot’s works. 

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