Modernism as a literary tendency and the modernist poesy peculiarly are considered to hold emerged in the really beginning of the twentieth century. It was symbolized by the visual aspect of the Imagist group of poets. These were people who opposed to the surpluss which were characteristic of the Victorian poesy. They denied its accent on traditional formalism and overly flowery enunciation ( Jones, 35 ) . In general, modernists and modernistic authors in peculiar were looking back to the best patterns of the poets of earlier periods and even of other civilizations, such as the literature of ancient Greece, Chinese and Nipponese poesy, the art of folk singers and mediaeval poets. Most of the early plant of the modernistic poets are short and compact wordss. In the class of clip the plants became more prolong. This is considered to be the chief part of the modernistic poets to the poesy of the twentieth century.

Bing really the pioneers of the modernistic poesy of the twentieth century, Imagists declared the chief rules of their poesy. These rules became the characteristic characteristics of all the modern poesy of the twentieth century. The chief characteristic characteristics of the modernistic poesy include the direct intervention of any “ thing ” either subjective or nonsubjective ; words that do non lend to the presentation should non be used ; beat was used to compose the musical signifier, but non to function as a metronome ; the subject-matter of a poetry should be wholly free, with no limitations ; free poetry was extremely appreciated ; exact words should be used and common address was non prohibited. These standards set by the Imagist could of class vary as the clip changed, nevertheless their kernel did non alter wholly. The crisp linguistic communication and highly rich imagination were the characteristics inherent to about all verse forms of the twentieth century. So, the plants of Imagists had a radical impact on the development of the whole modernistic literature and poesy.

The World War I was in a manner a accelerator that turned many poets to modernism. There appeared many poets who wanted to show their heartache, their sorrow and their feelings about the great universe calamity through poetry. The most celebrated modernistic work that arose from the station war disenchantment was the heroic poem “ The Waste Land ” by T. S. Eliot, an American modernistic poet who spent a great portion of his life in England.

Thomas Elliot was born in the USA in 1888. His male parent was a outstanding industrialist. The household had to travel from New England and the hereafter poet ever felt distressed by that fact. Throughout his life he sought to return to the state he belonged to with all his bosom. Though he tried to return to the state which liked really much, the World War I made it instead hard for the poet. On the other manus the war led the poet to the determination to give his full life to poetry.

Another fact that turned T. Elliot ‘s attending to modernistic poesy was his friend, wise man and editor Ezra Pound who was besides one of the most outstanding Imagist poets. It was besides Pound who edited the celebrated “ The Waste Land ” by T. Elliot in 1921 ( Kenner 86 ) . What is particularly of import about this verse form in respects to modernistic poesy of the twentieth century is that it addressed the characteristic characteristics of modern civilization. Therefore, these fragments contributed to the creative activity of a new type of poesy, which was later called modernistic. It was besides the period when Thomas Elliot paid his attending to unfavorable judgment as it was the lone manner for him to show his ain methods used in his poesy. From that clip Eliot became an outstanding figure in the literary universe of the twentieth century. His popularity and influence on other non so celebrated poets was so strong, that many other poets decided non to give their life to poetry in order non to pass their life in the shadow of the great maestro of word. Besides, many poets made their primary undertaking non to do their manner similar the Elliot ‘s in order non to look excessively colourless comparing with him.

Bing immature Thomas Elliot chose his instructors of poesy to be the Gallic symbolists, such as Rimbaud, Mallarme, Baudelaire, Laforgue. They influenced the manner of the immature poet. He took from them the ability to saturate his poesy with high intellectualism, make the linguistic communication sensuousness. Besides he developed his ain new and original techniques that are found in such early plants as “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” and “ The Waste Land ” . His thought was to picture a modern universe that lied in ruins, but however had something beautiful and meaningful in it. Elliot did non give his thoughts explicitly. He used the modernistic techniques of medley and apposition to do the reader understand his thoughts on his ain. Besides Eliot ‘s great instructor Ezra Pound one time stated that Thomas Eliot elaborated the characters that really fit the modernistic type of characters elaborated by Fitzgerald, Faulkner and other modernistic authors ( SparkNotes Editors ) . The chief character of “ Prufrock ” is a really good illustration, as he is the personification of lone, rational, neurasthenic individual who can non show himself to the outside universe.

However the character of the poesy of Thomas Eliot changed, as he grew older and converted to Christianity. His poesy acquired new characteristics. Therefore, for case, his verse form became abundant of allusions and reminiscences. Besides, they became more hopeful, if to see the tone of his verse forms. Therefore, such work as “ Four Living quarterss ” offers some propositions, alternatively of complete nihilism. It besides explores some philosophical issues, such as the issues of experience, morality, clip and art. The writer did non seek the truth in the yesteryear, simply keening of something that can non be changed, but he turned his attending to art and spiritualism. Doctrine and logic are the chief characteristics of his later plants, while the words and their physical and religious belongingss create dramatic, musical and elusive effects.

No uncertainty, the manner of the poesy of Thomas Eliot underwent important transmutations in the class of clip. On the other manus, his verse forms still resemble each other. There are a batch of uniting facets of Eliot ‘s poesy. Eliot subconsciously expressed the desire to convey together the aesthetic, rational and the emotional sides of a verse form. Therefore he could honour the past and acknowledge the present. Bing witting of these purposes, Thomas Eliot really frequently commented on his attempts to accomplish these points in his poesy. Such characteristic as humbleness makes Thomas Eliot one of the most consecutive and intellectually hearty modernist poets of the twentieth century.

The major subjects of the Eliot ‘s poesy besides respond to those of the modernistic poesy. Among them are the damaged mind of humanity, the power of literary history, the altering nature of gender functions.

Thomas Eliot wanted his plants to show the breakability of the psychological province of humanity of the twentieth century. Many pre-war poets unfeignedly believed that they were capable of altering the encompassing universe through their poesy. However the passing of the ideals of the Victorian epoch and the calamity of the World War I challenged assorted cultural impressions of masculine individuality. As a consequence creative persons of word began to oppugn the literary romantic ideal. Modern authors and poets wanted to capture the universe they transformed in their imaginativeness, while they perceived the outside universe as cruel, unjust and average to them. The general crisis of maleness was observed ; many people struggled for their topographic point in the altered society. Eliot comprehended the beginning of the procedures in the society. He expressed his feelings in “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” ( 1917 ) . The corporate mind of humanity was damaged and people could non pass on with each other. These thoughts were besides expressed in the verse form “ A Game of Chess ” and “ The Hollow Men. ”

Thomas Eliot paid a great regard to the Western literary tradition and to myth. That is why his plants are filled with allusions, footers, reminiscences and citations. Not merely did he expressed his dispositions in his verse form, but he besides stayed that thought implicitly in his essay “ The Tradition and the Individual Talent ” of 1919. Thomas Eliot expressed the thought that poems should be written in religious harmony with the earlier literary plants made by different writers of antediluvian and recent times. Eliot called for his co-workers to follow the literary traditions of the old centuries, as he considered literature to be the watercourse of continuity every author and poet should come in and swim with. Thus, for illustration “ The Waste Land ” is a modernistic work ; nevertheless it combines assorted elements of mythic and literary traditions of the past with sounds and scenes from the modern life. The consequence achieved by the verse form is brilliant – canonical texts combined with historical context contribute to the poet ‘s scrutiny of the modern humanity and society.

During the Eliot ‘s life many things changed. Sexuality and gender functions besides became flexible. Thomas Eliot could non but reflected these alterations in his verse form. Therefore, the Victorian epoch made a adult female pass all her clip at place with her household. Such impression as gender was non publically discussed and about all societal dealingss were characterized by Puritanism. Peoples were obviously so tired and strained by these tough conditions of life that after the decease of Queen Victoria everything began to alter really rapidly. The World War I contributed greatly to these alterations and, as a consequence, work forces could non happen their topographic points, while adult females started an active battle for their rights. There appeared many modernist adult females authors. Femininity and maleness were re-imagined. Thomas Eliot did non waver to accept those changed positions of the new universe of the twentieth century. This is reflected in his “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” . The poet expressed emasculation experienced by work forces after the war. The character of the verse form is unable to come to a certain determination, he watches adult females, “ speaking to Michelangelo ” ( Eliot ) . Eliot besides expressed contempt for overdone gender ; that is revealed in both plants “ Sweeney Among the Nightingales ” ( 1918 ) and “ The Waste Land ” . “ The Waste Land ” depicts colza, abortion, harlotry. The cardinal character of the verse form is a intersex. Thus Eliot presented the thought of people ‘s uncertainness even in such of import facets of human life as belonging to a definite gender. One organic structure is the vas for both genders.

Thomas Stearns Eliot used a batch of motives in his plants. They were atomization, spiritual and mythic rites, sterility. Atomization was both aimed to uncover the helter-skelter province of the modern universe and to unite literary texts. He intended to juxtapose fragments of images, duologues, conversations, thoughts and positions, foreign words and tones within one work. “ The Waste Land ” demonstrates this characteristic of Eliot ‘s poesy. However, Thomas Eliot cared about his readers and hence made a batch of footers in order to sound clear. His purpose was non to confound a reader, but to broaden his positions, even to do a reader educate himself. Using assorted parts of literary images and subjects, Thomas Eliot wanted to do his thoughts sound modern-day alongside with the spectrum of history.

Thomas Eliot possessed an unbelievable cognition of myths of different states. He studied legion spiritual, ritual, academic plants and used this cognition in his literary plants, seeking to saturate every piece of poesy with these interesting and cryptic things. Not merely did he make full his verse forms with unreplaceable images and symbols, but he besides tried to do his reader interested in the poesy and in the history of humanity in general. Therefore, “ The Waste Land ” is full of symbols, allusions, myths that play a important function in the development of the secret plan of the verse form. He spoke of the Fisher King, therefore referred a reader to the enigma of the Holy Grail, knight fables. Eliot knew a batch about spiritual beliefs of many people, so he could easy present Hindu or Buddhist motives into his verse form. His latest poems chiefly take their images from Christianity, as in “ Journey of the Magi ” ( 1927 ) .

Bing the representative of the war coevals, Thomas Eliot presented the modern universe he and many other people lived in as barren. He reflected these thoughts in many verse forms, but “ The Waste Land ” is the most graphic illustration. His characters are sexually dysfunctional or sexually frustrated. Therefore, the Fisher King is the manifestation of damaged gender, Tiresias represents equivocal gender ; the adult females from “ A Game of Chess ” are the carriers of the gender that can non be controlled. The war besides made the land infertile. It is dried, tired, there are no rivers, lakes or sees, trees died.

Water, the Fisher King and music and vocalizing are the major symbols of Thomas Stearns Eliot ‘s poesy. Water does non merely typify life, but it besides represents decease. Water possesses the regenerative power: it can slake thirst and flow rivers, rains quench dry land. Water restores life and birthrate. But in the instance of the crewman Phlebas ( “ The Waste Land ” ) it is the cause of decease. Water can connote such thoughts of Christianity as baptism, Jesus Christ. These are the traditional significances of H2O: cleanness, alleviation, pureness. But the seductive voices of mermaids that attract people besides originate from H2O. But this H2O can convey decease.

The cardinal character of “ The Waste Land ” is the Fisher King. Eliot took this character from the fables of the Holy Grail and liked it really much due to the great assortment of symbols, myths and enigmas. For Eliot the fisher King was the symbolic personification of humanity devoid of its gender. The absence of the sexual authority means that there is no sense in the being of the modern universe. However the Fisher King besides resembles the figure of Jesus Christ and therefore expresses the thoughts of metempsychosis and godly Resurrection. It makes a parallel with one of the miracles of Jesus Christ, when he managed to feed hungry people with several little fishes.

Bing a modernistic poet, Thomas Stearns Eliot was really interested in the difference between low and high civilization, which he symbolized through the use of music. He strongly believed that popular civilization dominated over the high civilization. The latter he supposed to be in diminution, including opera, play and art. Furthermore, Eliot liked to blend both civilizations, as he did in “ The Waste Land ” , for case. He combined high and low civilizations by intermixing the wordss from Richard Wagner ‘s opera with wordss that could be heard in saloon. Though it was instead bold and controversial, the consequence was truly amazing. The new ambiance of wordss was decidedly deserving Eliot ‘s readers ‘ assessment. Eliot used music to do mentions to literary traditions of the yesteryear.

Thomas Stearns Eliot was one of the most influential people of the twentieth century. He was a figure that contributed to the formation of positions of the people of the century. Not merely was he a gifted poet, but besides a good adult male, who had a batch of friends and whom many people respected and unfeignedly loved. Someone even said about Eliot one time: “ There is likely no kinder adult male in London today than T.S. Eliot. ” ( Lehmann 23 ) . He can be decidedly called neither American nor English poet. He spent his life in England but his bosom belonged to the American land. Furthermore if it was possible to specify this fact it would be instead unjust for the great poet. His part into the universe ‘s literature and poesy of the twentieth century is so brilliant that he should be referred to all states, non merely English or American. Therefore, Thomas Stearns Eliot is Anglo-American modernistic poet. His plants do non halt to excite people even after his decease, so great was the endowment of this adult male. The New York Times wrote after his decease: “ He gave us the sense of the civilization crisis of the Western universe, when we were all of a sudden thrown on our ain in a different manner than of all time before ” ( 13 ) . More and more critical plant on his verse forms appear every twelvemonth wholly over the universe. His modernistic manner and new thoughts made people see this universe in the new manner. He managed to execute his undertaking in a perfect manner. Therefore, he is considered to be one of the best modernistic poets of the twentieth century harmonizing to his comeuppances.