T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"

"The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot is the first poem I was required to read in an online course I'm currently taking at the University of Central Oklahoma. Much of it at first appears to be the ramblings of a depressed soul. But there is so much depth to Eliot's poem that few, if any, truly believe they understand all that it was meant to represent. Still, the poem does one thing very well, something I believe most poets intend from their poetry; it makes people think. They begin by discussing the poem, whether or not they like it, and whether it has any meaning. Then they compare notes, venture ideas about meaning, and share the frustration of knowing they can never really know because the author no longer lives to share his truth with them.

If you've never read the poem, you're in for a treat and an ordeal. It is written in two languages, primarily English, but unless you speak both lanquages, whole parts are lost to you. It makes attempting to comprehend the poem's meaning all that much more difficult. But I'm beginning to think that is part of the point...perhaps Eliot wanted no one to fully understand his poem. Maybe he intended it to be a bit of a slap in the face to those who thought themselves so much better than others. Whether true or not, it is true that Eliot was a great poet. And taking some time to read this poem or listen to it read is worth the effort.

Harper Audio has an online version read by T.S. Eliot. As the poem is in four parts, so too is the audio version. The following link takes you to the website where you can access and play all four parts of the Harper Audio production of T.S. Eliot's, The Waste Land. Listen and enjoy!

http://town.hall.org/Archives/radio/IMS/HarperAudio/011894_harp_ITH.html