Mod B: Ts Eliot Flashcards
What does textual integrity mean?
Textual integrity means that all parts of a text work together harmoniously, using consistent form and language, to create a unified and meaningful whole.
Thesis statement for preludes and prufrock
T.S. Eliot’s “Preludes” and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” explores the damaged psyche of humanity, critiquing individual alienation and the collapse of moral integrity in a post-war, industrialised, and morally corrupt world, reflecting the disillusionment and pessimism of the modernist era.
Thesis statement for rhapsody and prufrock
T.S. Eliot’s “Rhapsody on a Windy Night” and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” explores the stasis of the individual within a progressing society, reinforcing the inevitability of death. By critiquing individual stagnation in a post-war, industrialised, and morally corrupt world, Elliot reflects the disillusionment and pessimism of the modernist era.
Thesis statement for hollow men and preludes
T.S. Eliot explores modern disillusionment by shifting from a reflection on the collective societal alienation in “Preludes” (1910) to a reflection on the impacts of such a society on the individuals within it, in “The Hollow Men” (1925). While “Preludes” reflects pre-war societal disconnection, “The Hollow Men” delves into the fractured, post-war individual psyche, highlighting spiritual emptiness as a result of the war.
When was preludes written?
1910
Topic sentence for preludes:
T.S Eliot’s “Preludes”, explores the damaged psyche of humanity by mocking the anticipatory nature of life. By depicting the monotonous, fragmented, and desolate experiences of urban life, he critiques its alienating effects on the individual.
Quotes for preludes:
“The winter evening settles down / With smell of steaks in passageways. / Six o’clock.”
“Muddy feet that press… all the hands… Insistent feet…Short square fingers.”
“The morning comes to consciousness / Of faint stale smells of beer.”
“Wipe your hands across your mouth, and laugh; / The worlds revolve like ancient women / Gathering fuel in vacant lots.”
Analyse this quote:
“The winter evening settles down / With smell of steaks in passageways. / Six o’clock.”
The poem begins by establishing an almost romantic tone by personifying the “winter evening settles down”, creating a false sense of comfort and hope. This illusion is quickly shattered by sensory imagery that reveals the grim reality of urban life: “With smell of steaks in passageways. / Six o’clock.” The truncated sentence, “Six o’clock”, jarringly disrupts the reader’s emotional journey, reflecting the intrusive nature of time. The poem destabilises readers’ expectations, placing them in a state similar to the people it describes—lacking control and feeling overwhelmed by the bustling city. Through this juxtaposition between anticipation and harsh reality, Eliot mocks life’s anticipation, highlighting the fragmented nature of city living.
Analyse this quote:
“Muddy feet that press… all the hands… Insistent feet…Short square fingers.”
Eliot reduces people to anonymous body parts, lacking any distinguishing features. The representation of body parts as if separated from people and acting with a will of their own suggests the thoughtlessness in the repetitive routine of daily urban life. This underscores the sense of anonymity created by modern life, illuminating the loss of identity and individuality brought about by the modern world. Thus, Eliot explores the fragmented experiences of urban life, where people are not only alienated from one another, but also from themselves.
Analyse this quote:
“The morning comes to consciousness / Of faint stale smells of beer.”
Eliot’s personification of the urban landscape contrasts the environment’s sentience with the lack of animation in individuals. The world is represented as possessing an awareness of morality that human beings have lost. Eliot also mirrors the fleeting sense of hopefulness, introduced in the beginning of the poem, through olfactory imagery that reveals the grim reality of modernity.
Integrated paragraph on preludes and prufrock topic sentence:
In both “Preludes” and “Prufrock,” Eliot uses a cyclical structure to reinforce a lack of resolution, emphasising the persistent disillusionment and paralysis of modern life. The poems conclude with a sense of ongoing stagnation and unresolved existential crisis, reflecting the enduring alienation and moral collapse of the era.
Analyse this quote:
“Wipe your hands across your mouth, and laugh; / The worlds revolve like ancient women / Gathering fuel in vacant lots.”
Highlight Eliot’s mocking perspective of the loss of societal meaning. The action of wiping hands and laughing suggests a dismissive attitude towards life’s endless and fruitless pursuit of fulfilment. The imagery of “ancient women gathering fuel in vacant lots” evokes a sense of timelessness and nihilism, where efforts to sustain life occur in empty spaces. This cyclical and paradoxical nature of existence, with the world endlessly revolving, mirrors the themes in “Prufrock,” where individuals are trapped in repetitive, meaningless routines. Eliot’s nihilistic perspective underscores the perpetual and unresolvable nature of human suffering and alienation.
Prufrock topic sentence:
T.S Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, similarly explores the damaged psyche of humanity but by exposing the stasis of modern society as a result of urbanisation. Prufrock is paralysed by indecision. His inability to progress in his life is reflected in the poem and serves as a commentary on the alienation individual’s experience from self-doubt.
Prufrock quotes:
“Let us go then, you and I / …Like a patient etherised upon a table; / Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets”
“Do I dare / Disturb the universe?”
“And would it have been worth it, after all, / Would it have been worth while”
“By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown / Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”
Analyse this quote:
“Let us go then, you and I / …Like a patient etherised upon a table; / Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets”
The opening lines of the poem invite the reader on a journey, but this idea is juxtaposed by the confronting image of paralysis. Prufrock’s internal paralysis is mirrored in the stasis of the poem. The collective address suggests movement, but the simile introduces a sense of numbness and stasis, reflecting Prufrock’s internal conflict between action and inaction. The whimsical tone quickly shifts to unease, as the urban landscape becomes artificial and unwelcoming. The sibilance makes the lines become claustrophobic, reflecting Prufrock’s chaotic mind. Thus, Eliot exposes the stasis of modern society as a result of an overwhelmingly urbanised world.
