T.S Eliot’s experiences of isolation and loneliness are expressed through his poetry. The first stanza of ‘Prufrock’ reveals the apocalyptic state of the world around him. ‘Tedious arguments’ and ‘half deserted streets’ convey the dull nature of humanity in which lack of participation and interest has amounted in Eliot’s segregation. Similar concepts are built in ‘Magi’ as the audience is able to observe the accumulating negativity that the protagonist has towards society. The line ‘Alien people clutching their gods’ shows evidence of the Magi’s seclusion from the world that he has re-entered after witnessing the incarnation. These ideas of isolation allow Eliot to connect with the audience, deepening their understanding of the world that he sees.
The disturbing feelings of frustration and unloveliness are common concepts which contribute towards the disturbing nature of Eliot’s poetry, ultimately highlighting the apocalyptic world view that he holds. ‘Prufrock’ conveys these ideas through the use of the ‘overwhelming question’. Repetition of ‘there will be time’ highlights the unpleasant nature of this question as it causes procrastination and avoidance. In addition to this, Prufrock is frustrated at his place in society as he feels ‘formulated’ and ‘pinned’ by the world around him. The depressing tone is also accentuated in ‘Magi’ as the audience sees seemingly good things being ‘regretted’ due to the intense bleakness, difficulty and challenge of the journey. The discontent that is expressed through the protagonists in Eliot’s poetry exemplifies the disturbing nature of the society in which Eliot lives.
The apocalyptic condition of the new world that Eliot exemplifies in his poetry marks the end of the old order, and the beginning of the new and ill-defined world. Features of the new world are disturbing to the protagonists in both poems who have experienced the transition into the bleak state of society. This transition, which is described in the ‘Magi’ as ‘hard and bitter agony’, is highlighted through the King’s question ‘Were we lead all this way for life or death?’ The Magi seems unimpressed by the infant, yet he realises that the incarnation has changed everything. Threatened by the new society, it now holds no meaning to him, to the point in which he would wish for ‘another death’ (something more than this). The end of the previous world is also apparent in ‘Prufrock’ as comparisons to the new world allow that audience to understand the drastic change that has occurred. ‘I have heard the mermaids singing… I do not think they will sing to me’. This statement shows that Prufrock has seen the greatness that is possible, but reality has destroyed and weakened society to an ‘etherised’ state. The comparison to an apocalyptic society within the two poems allows Eliot to express his views of the new world.
The chaos that is implicit in ‘Prufrock’ and ‘Magi’ indicates the disturbing end of the old world. This overturned society instils frustration and unloveliness upon the world, at which point Eliot is able to explore the lasting effects of such change. As a result of the transition into the new world, isolation and loneliness become apparent in the lives of the protagonists, through their dislocation from the new world. Through his poetry Eliot is able to scrutinize the ways of the new world and the effect that it has on society.
by
dan2274 (student)
