Ball State University
"Eliot's Theory of the Three Voices of Poetry as
Illuminated by Its Application to The Waste Land"
Julia Ballard
ID 499
September 1, 1969
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to Frances Rippy, under
whose direction this paper was written, for
her valuable assistance and encouragement.
ii
Eliot's Theory of the Three Voices of Poetry as
Illuminated by Its Application to The Waste Land
T.S. Eliot delivered a lecture in 1953 in which he sought to explain
his concept of the three voices of poetry.l
In summing up his comments,':he
asked his listeners to test his assertions as they read poetry.
This paper
is an attempt to employ Eliot's suggestion and to test his principle of the
three voices of poetry in an analysis of Eliot's own poem.
The Waste Land.
Eliot defined the three voices of poetry in the following manner:
The first is the voice of the poet talking to himself -- or to
nobody. The second is the voice of the poet addressing an audience,
whether large or small. The third is the voice of the poet when he
attempts to create a dramatic character speaking in verse; when he
is saying, not what he would say in his own person, but only what he
can say within the limits of one imaginary character addressing another
imaginary character. 2
The poet further stated in his lecture that the reader of poetry
who complains that a poet is obscure or speaks only to a limited circle
1
The Three Voices of Poetry (New York:
Press, 1954).
2Ibid ., pp. 6-7
Cambridge University
2
of initiates must keep in mind that the poet endeavors to put into words
that which cannot be'. said in any other way.
The language used, Eliot
asserts, "may be worth the trouble of learning.,,3
Eliot offers his,
explanation of the three voices of poetry as one key to learning the
poet's language.
Readers of The Waste Land have
con~nded
that the poet is far too
difficult and, to use Eliot's term, far too obscure.
If Eliot was
being accurate in his lecture, he has written the poem in the only
way in which he could
in his own language.
When The Waste Land
is read with a knowledge of Eliot's theory of the poem are brought
into. focus.
An analysis based upon this theory yields a greater
insight into what the poet was striving to communicate.
In an article dealing with Eliot's lecture, Delmore
Schwartz wrote:
Whatever Mr. Eliot's purpose may be • .
he provides a classification of the voices
Jf poetry which has an immediate relevance
to any attempt to characterize his poetry
as a whole • • • . what is in question here
is not this classification as true of all
kinds and varieties of poetry, but only
its relationship to the poetry which
Eliot himself has written. 4
0
From this point in his article, Schwartz proceeds to express
his opinion that the reader who seeks to read Eliot's poetry with
a knowledge of the theory of the three poetic voices
3
Ibid., p. 38·,.
4"T.S. Eliot's Vo:..,~e and His Voices," Poetry, LXXXV
(January, 1955), 232.
of each respective voice can be catalogued, Qnd Eliot's
metho~
of blending all threo voices an he constructed
~ecornes
readily apparent.
--------_._--_.
t~e
poen
I.
THE FIRST VOICE
The Poet Talking to 5imself -- or Nobody
Eliot at-terC'pt.ec1 to el2..00rate
the fi:::-st uoice ]-,y
rE'fe~ri '-'0
to
:::l
U,jOl1
his c1 efir'.i -::io,[ of
lectu~(~
enti tIer'. ProhlcIllc
der Lvrick delivercc' by t 1,c GerD2.I' "oct, Got·t:::.'::-ie-' Berl'..
There
:LS
first
Te,:.ou~,:--c.cs
of t.he
et 1~" ::~ r.~cf
Cf()J~"2 i"CJ.
P.017
1,?OJ:"·(~.0;
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6
The opening lines of The Waste Land,
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with sprinq rain lO
are a perfect example of a first-voice attempt to obt0in
suc~
relief for Eliot.
first-voice poetry to
CJ.
sort. of "e~:orcisr;," of
ti'9
('1-?Bon. l1
in '-,is poetry.
too
0:':
1:0
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1)() c:r~
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19j2)~, If: 1_.,1
S1.l1·'sequ~-·\·t c-,--=,:'o,:-c:cc:::: J: o 1i-o;.
in c J ue cc' ~,~~rc~- t L". ct i c ;::;.11 \':i t~;.i~~ t"', e t: C~:~t
,: :-: :rc:
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tl."'is ec5.itiot).
12 11-~]'
.~J
,.1
_ ',.'• •
7
Ei~J
L""[:liot'§.7 i(~"':',r: 0::: irnJ:)er'3or~~lit:T 2",d ohje;-tivity
in ccr"l:, t"8 '·'ccc.'"'::;ity fo.:- 'i:'-8 ,~uhor(qi!12tior; of feelinr:
to -CliO «~j~,scil)linc~ of 2 religJol1S S:,",st:en:, ~-jis ij~~si.ste!1ce
on trCl,~l,ition, onIer ;::>,;yl finis~'; :!.D e::ecut:i_o'l ('i--,r1 cla;:-ity
,
.
11
' tnetJ_cc:,.,1 to Ro'X::U'tlCJ.s;n.
.,
1")J
In
concept lOP
;;.:rf~ ::' _
antl
1
•
a~~ti-Romantic
Georqe's stateTl:.en":: e::pJ ;:).in3 Eliot' s
t~e
and it also shade light on
poetic comnent.
~oet's
They are, however,
t~e
Eliot's rejection of
personal poetry may
--~(e·t
\<r~!cn
<.',T;l;;
ST)C()_}:
Q~cJ
\'}C
un~erlie
C~F'C
j:ull,
intensely
~~/
c~let~
late,
~·',J.ir
'C01Jj:"
f<.i12r~,
~-·o~_
Ronantic tendencv toward
the fact
~-"('c1c,
~-:;~,:
. . ,. -1.('::1..':;, (::,:~,(~. I
LookL"'Cf i_':to C~'C o'C2o~i=
Oed' u,!6 leer (~.3,::: n~~Or!~ri.\/iT"rr
a~
\V;,C't Eliot bir,self c211s '"meditative
state~ert
Y()l~J~
of first-voice
The openin0 lines are not didactic, narrative,
or animated hy social purpose.
personal
expl2l~atio~
ooer'inC" lines
J
l~~l<?-~J
0::
:~:::-O:'G
,-Ie'!::,
~/!;:l.~;
t>8
s~all
propor-
~~y~_~i~!w::h
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I could. ,'ot
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:l.o~:"flj_~-"'r:r,
l i re1 -::,
(11.
onlv a
t~at
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2i2:~c~c('.
37-i~~).
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-
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cx~crie~cc
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Ag::lin I
~
_
lir..e 176,
II
L-.
Sweet Thames, run softly till I
end
my sona... , " and lines 182-186,
By the waters of Leman I sat down and wept
Sweet Thames, run softly t i l l I end ny song,
5vmet TIl ame.3, run softly, for I Gneai': T.Ot 10u(1 0'- lor-e.
:'>ut 2t rr{ 1),l.ck ill 2. cold ;~12st I heCl~
The rattle of t~e no~es, ~n~ chuckle snrc0d f~o~ ear to
__ r.. -..-'
.
0';=
~;lio::
I
.....
'-'
r
-_ __._----------_._----_._ _------..
...
16 T • S • Eliot: Tl-.e DC0.ic;n o:~ II-i __s Poe-t:r'l;7 (-:'To,"< :to~:--~::
Scr i:)ner '.::; Son[:, 19,(19),
:'!.
70.
("~=""·-'.~-lcr
o
head,
ete.-eni ty. III 7
Taken
fro~
eastern
an~
western
religious heritage:::, 't:le ,1On;,s have a pu.rticulur' mea.nincr Hi thin
the context of tho poem when it is uncterstood that Eliot
brin~s
East and West together in the first voice and closes the forego ina
section with
2
note of personal despondency for the state of ull
To Carthage then I
o
o
ca~e
Burning burDinr;r lmrninq ~,urninc;
Lord Thou nluckest De out
Lord Thou nluc1~est
(ll.
J 7 ~.,
T'); ,'-
.~.
---------
79.
307-311).
-:lO.iC--~.
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Poi c'2seose nol foco ~~~ 01i 2~fi~2
--- - --'l'y-'c,O --:--i~'~ ll"--i ['"-'-";'--0-"
- - 0 0,\,i;:,J10'\,' :-~";211o':--:
i~~~~;l~'~i ~"j:;l~'\-" 1 0_':01.)]: :c~"olie
01. eJ.23-4,33).
The fact
t~nt
these lines are fragmentary and disconnected can
be accounted for hy understancUnq tl'!at "the',.T 2re s',rmDolic of chaos
in the modern world.
They could
~e
spoken in the first voice
only because the fragments are different for e2.el, f:2.n.
first-voice comments are
t~2t
cuI -{:ur;':'cl "trac,i tiol"[ - - a t1: 2.C', i
sense of unity or value.
i
-,r':
,flIich romains for Eliot of
'I: i
Tl~.ese
2.
or-' "if"\ic:h, for him, 1 <:leks 2ry
1 ]
i.n e n. t:}CJ
•
firot-voiCG
is
2!T1.0TlCf
-"~~:r
~o~me~tD.
11 at
·::~-·eE':,
Px:·oT)e::-t,.,r
:-l
2
0=:=
::.-c:l?."tiO!'-·:~3":5.p
0 -;~,j e:-:' -:.:~:
~·~l~·t
c-'_i,SCO\70J:~e('~
J:-21 ,?t.ior [~j~.i;~
2
~1r,(l_
~:;tc·"~:li.s:le,~l
t~:Je
!?oc:t.
11o:-:20'1(J~, t":le rel,:::.tio:ns'lj_p :~2~,r }-'c o:""e
of te-nEJio'- in. \'lr·ic;- t1-~~~ r'-'(l~tc~~i~lG ";'-:-llll cl0fl.i'·:.st: e\"J(":
o '(:~:lG]~ all(~. res i s t (.~:: :. r e,'-l::~\7' re co "i:.~ i 1 i 2. ~t i 0 r;
• ~".;;"'l OTl ;", (;
LEliot7 firs-t e~,!_F'r::i ~,t:G'°t:' is q:i_G'i.' 0:: telsio" i:, Doet.r v ,
i t ~i'G:C~{ rl1t~r:J. ~·1ee~1e(~. ;::~.'J~~Tip.c: - - OJ.~ (J.t le,::::,::,·t :lc!e(·~e(} ]:--e-s(J.~{j_r~ •
•-i:;,,::;l ~;is sti.1tGme~~t of t"i,c:~o1'cepti()n, toc:et!-1er 'i,lit'''~~he
po~ms th2t e8bo(~iecl it, inspirec':' t~-'e J:i_tera:c"
rG'7olutiop.
t~at is sometimes 0iven Eliot's name. 20
G. :Jilsot) Knicr 1,t
I1~Jo
states of Eliot that
pa~:es
a si"1ilar oo.servai:ion \1',en he
poet has been more
d.ee~)}y
hO:t~es-t.
The
results are simultaneously personal in substance anC impersonal
in technique.,,21
Similarly, the "I" of line 1'23 can be interprete<3
an inclusive pc::-ol'oun, 'Jut w1;en
1i~es
w~ic~
follow,
?n
~.- 11~:.S.
it is 2pparently a
Eliot:
(J ~::lU(-)ry-rl(H:"cl' ,
2JII~~1.~j. E}_iot:
:~~c\/.ie\'7,
I.J~·:::'I'\l
cOl!sic~ered
~r::.
i
'9~~
.1'~ ~ ~ (-::; _~
2. ~:. (~.
S~cci~l
in
t1"(~
Derson~l
2S
co-r:!tex-t 0::= t -;c
'
ctatcnent.
It
t i oS t,
rei", e S G\-7;:,~!.ee RevieH,
Issue), 212.
?~ r
11
30:':("~ I..Ji.tc::2r~l Ir:r>:--0r:;(-:'io:·~-, II TI-le S9~72.~:tJe
10 ~r:
3'or'l~t 0.J Is r=11C), 2~) 5-:-----
(J-2"11JuJ~\'?-r,:·~~ ~.~C~l,
17.
1.1;) :
~~~tJ-:::
j_t,
i::~
It i·'-;:,
--oe
j_~~~no""3::1-'~-"'lc
-r:o"~~:·'1·~~_
-:'="o('~l
0"1 ,...
~)2.-".r:C'
r~".~
j .. ~~
t.~~'e
C:C!~lCl't1·'~\:i.·":-~
('~=.:-'-~o'-'n'\'::;-'·~(~
j ,':
'.~.~;-'-~:':('~r".
,~()~ O:_",T'C"<'
.'~-:-'-'"'
+-:- ('l
eli ',,-,
"'0' ,",'2
3ynr12thi::':c,
tl""(~r;:
":0
C~2l!:'i_r'r:
Con'l:~~oJ.,
1''-::;::.<::8,
-t~~a-~:l.~fi0l1::-(:::~
n;:;r~,=iI~·i.:O
:::3<: t7";-' ct
i'
iC1.2ClS;
r"'e(}.eemii)J~~r
s'ln:'}~JO 1 •
surrenCer haG been made, but it still seems a surrcnr:ler
to death, and the ,possibility
of rebirth is stiP, \,rithout
-??
..
substance or outllne.--
}"')a.s
J)eCJ.1
2
The figure fishing upon the shore is also regarded as a
first Derson poetic comment by critic Helen Gardner:
we return to the arid plain and the single figure
on the s]lore fis':.ing.
Tile Bridgc over Hhich the CYO\vd flovled
is falling dOHn.
There CODe to ,',"'i:-:ci three phrases: a p.~1.Y2,Se
expressina surrender to ."poi-·", (1-,.:..(:~. terro:':."', ;1 J)~lJ~2.f3E:! ·~:ec12_ril1.r­
E!r\C~_ 2 l")"').r:.!.se i:~~!.?t SU(fO'(~sts c.:. t.otc'.l
lorqi~~ for freedom,
c1es'ci tutio:n
::-';;-S=Y:T1CP,tS
•.• ...J
',;i S (:1 0-: ,the poet 1e2""0,, 1.','
i,r.
Roy-.:~~·ti~''''
I':
"~'::'
--------_._-') ')
,
"p~,
~
"
)'='-'10
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E9-90.
.:~:~-t
O~': 1).1.3 •.~~~li,ot
('~'~\"'r
:{or':: F,.J.?
r)11.~-.to~~
'~O.,
19c;O) ,
96.,
~""«'-'"'' .., , - ' - - - - - - - , - - , - - - - - - - - - -
--'
-_._--,-------
---_._-------
("
with
t~c
fifth
'
li~c:
~!inter
I~~1..r"t~~:
\:ept us
i"
,(~no~·'l,
<-:ce(~.ip(T
tu ers.
"
S1.1r:ln1 C::' Sl.l~.:-"!}:::-it:~C~(l 1.] ~, cO~:1i:,:'r: o \,7 C ?:- t.:-q:: St~2.::-· ~}~~·e~(""c~~s'2;(;
:;j_t"i. ~l 2::0\"7o.:c of r2j.r'; lve r:~-~:o~)~2,::-1. ir't t 11 0 ~olo::I?~,-~:.·~e
.~'J'Cl Hent 0"
L~ .cl..F'lic"'t,
J.'·::o t~;e l-Io: __ qc:~.:-·tc~·;,
1,:""~ dT2n': coffee;, ;-l'Cir: t2.11,:~rl fo'':- ,'1'1 >our (11. 5-1 1 ) •
l~_
Ii ttlc
covGrir1("f
~il::1rr,l,
~~Or0e"t~~1.1~t
l:i.:~e
c.'it:h
(~-~:ie('
~."
'-:;:J.".
of
SGason~l
hnrre~n8Ss.
These 1 ires ElJ:--e
location sets the scene for
found in lines 12-18.
2
prim2.J~il~/
third-voice
(:.c8cripti ~1e
~r2matic
pass2ge
Lines 5-11 are introctuced without transi-
tioD from first to second voice.
Transitional elements 2re not
to be found ir, The Haste Lanrl ;:1n0 ::or t:t"is very rea,son, Cl :r::2 r ,'.il-
ta1ze
pl:;c~.
13
ll.
\}l.... e:·,
.
, ',"
Eliot returns to
:n~.,).t
,".re
]:-oots t-'L"t c"utc",
-l:J1P
t~ri~)
-'-::r-o
.s,tOY\~.7
rl~bbi.r~:-'~
()rrt
:>:f
~[Ol.l
::2..:!~!.ot
~~
.~ .. rl:'
of 1::\~:-01?(~~: j_:·~.-:-:~fCS,
t"l,.(;
c"ocJ' -t~'""cc r'rj_\}(!~~
.!-:.rJ
t~-~.e
':.l~'
~';i
T
",~Olj.;-
I
~;.lC,?;~-:;,
O.Y
2,-~~()~~0
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1
~~o
,~~ho'"
11
Sl": -~:"
C'
t.
O~'.;
;::' 0": "0 '.1
IISon
~. 'Ol:
·:=O~
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t.>.i;;~
,- i.''' ;--
,~~-:
(;,::)"e:, j_ ", - r~
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l'~''1O\'l
70 lJ.
t.:'-8
O~j
S1J.~--::
("]-OT,[
J.
"1,7
')c;:-t~"
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:·~~:·j.C1"ct_
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--::l.j_c:~
:-()(~~"'.,
":,-.<-, .• :\
i, . . i
(:!.j. :~: ~ ,-::; =~C~::.
Fe
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t n
i
() r
- . ,,' .-' '.' J.
i_;
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of
o·r- -.',-:--.1- s:c.
"·:0 -.C·;-: - j . j_: - r~
-"'~or
.C ::; -, -.-
't
\f-'~C=C9
::-;OlJ."-- -.
oS'-' ,:,,-.1 0 ,,:: 1"-;' .,:?~~
::~~.<.~~~-l_O\·}
~ "0:,' ~t_-
I -, !:'
·-.~.]:-:l
j. <:'
"'r-:-121.:-e
Ci -.-
C2.~/·
~~_cc;~
~:;or:
.'' ': !'~01:'
"l-:
~~~.:
,\701't
- "::: r::: .~-:
l' ~ I~
0;;
~01 ') ;
•
(
i.
1
O~,...
lecture state0
Eliot'~
th~t
t~e
second voice
is useel for .sC'.tirical purl?oses::n:d his juxtaposition of tlie
contempor2ry clairvoyante and her parallel in the past are what
Eliz2beth Drew labels "satiric 'levity.,"7.5
Dre,., states that
"1'1adame Sosotris, \'li th her ::.ame sU0cre:;tin0 a
Crec"~.-Err:.Tf'ti':::T
origin,
i~
2
uodcrn,
vul~0rize~
ane pr2cticers of maqic,
and to forecast the
t}j.rou~.'-1-;
t:"
LC
r~(.lrot
71.
,~o
risi~r
?e:
C~I:--C:1_G." L.~"":
vGrsio~
of
t~e
E0"Dti~n
nrofesse~
to
co~trol
f~llin~
o~
~~e
?ne
~iviners
fertilit~,
~2tcrs
of the 8i10
~O-7S
•
"You!
si"'"(":c':1:'i;-."7
:C"c'
"
o='"
i~
the
t~ird
In
~is
~nalysis
voice.
sense,
:-Jaste
Lar,J~,
.
28
DUl·ty,"
Voice.::"
I-~.
u.nc·~
G.
GeorSe
:r-efe:::'f~
of this section of The
to i i:s "qreatcr
'1a::::-Y:-~lti '1e
,'la}:'ration is, as Eliot poir)ts out i"
l[~ctu:::-c,
on2 of tile
func'ar1cl~'t::.l
co;~ti-
t.he "Three
pu!::-poc.ec of second-voice
?O
poetr}'.~.-'
27
"Eliot I s The Waste Land,
01a.y, 1965), item 7 t1 •
28
P. 17.8.
74," The Explicator,
:;'~XIII
16
Eliot
Ci.n::::. 1 i
employ~
t~e
se~ond
~s
voice
he ooens Section III,
T~ e,~
.... ~. - ~--:-- ":':"11 ..
J_OO'~
C'"
,.,_, ..:.;r" :'.'_
(1. 31 Cl
o 1~
),
,-'
1 J.
( I
"
\_,~
"'0.1o::f~-S
CUU::'.J J'l
"\
...
~
:\~c;~
.::0 :Y)':").
.... -:- -.
-1-.~
.. .,.
~
"n
"
:') ,"'
",' ,,'
' O':';~"'"
"
o
.1_-,
C.
noe-,:ic
";TC
i
-- ."-
(~2.
n·2'
:1"1
?_ . J"l/":).
['3.
_,------------'.--.'''-'-''O<------.--..--..
-,~---
"':
...
, 7
":T-,2.·;:
i'::J.io·c
r'
-_0.,'
~oC'"
;-~,7
31"Eliot ' s Tl-·e ·~IC1..c:te Land,
.'GCIV (!i:oril, 1966), i t'2E! 7~.
t:"~;c
?oei-::,
397.-395," The Explicator,
•
31
III.
h DraQatic
TEE THIRD VOICE
~har2cter
exp12ine~
Eliot
in
~is
Spe~:irg
in Verse
lecture on the
'-'otico
t~~ee
'i~
r;
r.
t
('
c
voices that
.-.,.., . . -', ..., i: C~ --
-1" '.
':. 'e
.-. _._.
__._---
'"'
"
~,:'
~J,
....J--'P.
18
---~-
.. _..
_--_._------_.
__ __._--.
19
Eliot usee t',C' t',irc1-voice tcc1.;l"deue fo,,:- t:-e fLcet tine
in. :tipes 12-18:
Bin
7\1!.(1
JOy
('far ]::eine Russin,
-'--
'·vlll.eT1 "\IC
~lC~re
:::ouE~in's,
'0
Stamn·
---,
chil(=:!J:-C~ll,
too'~
"18
.2\-:-1>t I \"l·C':.S =]:-icfl~~te~-:..c;'].•
I <' :rie, ';oh~ 01 tight.
OU-::
~=o
Li tauen, ecl'.t deutsch.
2.t -tl-,.c arC~"\Cl_1J}::e 1 s
u sloe],
aus
-
E.:t:(J.~..Ti;!r:
01
':~;1ic:,
1·~Cl.l-ic,
i r t:ro;-::11.1C c . . .
L'" '7011. ;::oe rJ.e::".r ers. ECj:ui to~".c",
TeJl ~}er I })rii~~~r -l:~--C ;-1.o::-OSCOJ?0 lTI=?S0}_:~;
0;'0 rcmst ;'8 so cC1re;'uJ. .:::.i~ . :~·~c'~()u:::~
(lJ. r; 7-r~·9) •
Section II of Tho Waste Land.
._--_..
__ _---_
...
...
3 LL
·The Poetr'.' of '1'. S. E1 iot (Lory1 on: I~outl 8('00
Paul Limited, 1958), D. 103.
c:
I~ecf2'-:'
20
:'J,e:. ~ic,
·.,c
,',;
-~ -:. T
"
i.l
,'- '" (:
• J'
::-": 'T'
..
"''"'"'.-'''-
'2
'.-
,
0:
Tl- c
result
thou~fhts
the usual
asl:s,
rn~nner
"Do you
---~-.-
\vOT.~,::lr:_ ':::;
are also significant.
of
sDeech
i~terroa~tive
remem'~er
2.nd·~er
cor.,-
The woman uses no contrac-
She doe2 not frame her many
tions in l-er speecll..
':
J_
matica.l structures \-,ri'ich corrrDose the
parlion I s
r"':',
~ .•
~uestions
in
sentences used in conversation.
,10thin0,?" anc'
;'-o~c
"Don ' t you re:-."12I'1ber
.------------------_. __ .•----- ----- - _._--------_ ..- ----_. __._--
21
She uses "shall" e2.ch time she uses tr.e firs-t
and "will."
Derson with the concept of futurity.
DrocessC!~:
j.l"11.e
•
t;1·ei]:-
2S
The sane grammaticaJ
\"~,:r
--
of
J. -F
c:
135-JJ(:)
It
I:::
-'- '~, r:-,
-',r'
.' Y',
-
.
0--;11
; 1....- ;'"! '. _ .
~
.:
r,
c. . .
,
~
, .,. ....:-:-:, -~' .~
-~
"0
," " -.
.
C:-'
.~.--
.-.1-.(>
r ,,"_
( ., "1
. "
• 1
'. r \
I
", ( '
,-
, 1
•
~,
'"..!.....
,-, n" .'- i --, ~ ..
f"'..
r
~
--,,"r'
,. . , -'-
c··'-,--:.,,-,.j-
·...:.-'0··'1.
L . . ,--,
~~~ . . c~ C ;-: C ~~.r1o:1
---,
..---_.. _.
-
0 -.-
;lc -'.
__._---------" ---._-----------
r~;:-:- ~~ c~ ;ll~::-'t.r
-"- .
---.--"-~----
'0
0
f
: ;"oc~" 2r~"'l"
PO(-~ -1::::'
·:~i '0.
.'- r""
re;:c=7
',(,:
-:-:1-: e
(:"ro~,~
01.
1/0, 1':;7)
1 /
L
lOc:.- 1
-';
"'.rc
;-'
.,
.,
(, 1
o.
)
'; 0 ' " 0
10
~f11
c:;
i.
i
.
"1')1.l11in r ; ,-.
101'(0
to enforce
t~e
.
,"
J=:-.F""C "I
,'- \. . \.,,- ..... ~
colloqui~l
to~e
of the nonolonu6.
T1-. e .sneaker
('100S
In
mono] oQlle
i,C)
m3c~e
111:-')
en.ti::(~l"C.r
subject [lc:tter but alno in
o:c
l~er
contr~st
~o
the firrt
c'rL.S'\,'leI"S.
'7ocC'}-:'ul;).ry.
con.te~:t.
anrl sentence structure,
e:-:ists.
social
Qn~
it is
~pprODriat~
,
that the vari2tion
Eliot was 2ttenpting to represent opposite ends of the
sc~le,
and he chose to do so by employing the language
spoken by the two extremes in the poetic
thir~
voice.
The
rigid, sterile, hysterical, and futile speech of the bored
upper-class woman is shaned by a hrand of existence for which
the same adjectives are applicable.
The second speech, 1·Jhich
lacks sensitivity, oriqinality, and organization, establishes
a prevailing mood of resicrnation and despair which is heightened
by the poet's ironic one-line closina comment deliverea in the
first voice cmd echoinq Sha}:espeare';;: OpheliZl, a trou':>len.
lE~d'.'
of a different sort:
ladies, good ntght, good right"
Still another
foun~
in Section III,
(1.
thir~-voice
172).
characteriz2tion is to he
to T;Jri-::e, but also
]11<'\]:c
use of Tiresic::s' par cicl'!.2.': viei'JJ
Doint.
nossesses
(1.
o~~i~ciept
unde~starding
whic~
t~e
poet
~learc
fro~
~29).
I':~
is
(-.:."1.0
1~,S
t.O
:~i.O:
Q;:-r
~.;,
__ i r
;)]:-e.ser:<~0
541-.cic-l::::·_~t
10"7(;
co-·-'c.lrl<~~'":!
;:-:rcl
O~(:
:-li,~~
t.~-i;-,"t
25
r]:j~r,:.:.'~i2::
:31J.l-·::~eql~le~"'+:
I1rr~"c
I~:.~-!::r;
t:o i:i::is
l:!i-tt~e,s"-;
:J
C·O:-'1f.'":CT,:t.S
I_,,?J'.(-rl
c1_c~"'1,r
o~
it
''-IO~;:::
L10 ::O~:-~-.
.:-~.~ :-.!--
n---1}"'''
':-;:'~i;::;-;}
~,~i-t11_
e
-t:~,?
~-:
() _r
('c. '-, ',- ::-: c )
-: ", ( '
'- '
,. -:
-
,
:::OC-3 0'_ ) •
c: ~
but all L:.re Eliot 's ;;:ttemp-t to prc,se:lt ;:,
for }'1iilself.
Of course, tll.e l')oet
IS
cl-;2~:-acter
~1ho
~'liIJ
'"\7oice is also 11.eLlrd, :cor
38The Complete Poems and Plavs, p. 53.
spe0,}-:
l~!e
of
300'-.~
o~
t:O
CO~!."\7e~,:".
Eliot's
crnft~B~p~~ip.
,
.
'-::'J S
lectu:ce.
As
in
1-. i ,<,
o~
the three voices
~elmor8
~~oul~
Schw2rtz proposed, the
cl~ssific~tion
be 2nplicahle, first of ?ll, to Eliot's
own Doetry.
It rlay be,
a::: Ivlc:..:"Cvin Hudriclr, hus St2tcc1
,
that t''1e "dif:i"use-
ness soliei tee':: by a public occasio!1" hC'l.:'; left Eliot' ,".:; critics
the opinion that the thcory,
\,;i tl-,
as advanced by the poet, fuiled to
provide enoug}"\ inform:ltion \vi th
whic~
Gr~~~:l.t:-
to test i-t:,c; v21idi ty.
i)':g Hudrick' s poi:1t, however, coe;:, not pe0?:l.te tr'o cs,<:;c::-tiO,13 whic'-'
Eliot
:_1~~S
n2G.e.
Elioe
.-~ .. ro
~-~ ,,")
'-
i1:'-:C
'-
i -.
(',.'i +:}, 011 'i:
"
r-
,'?
C'
c: >'~~.. -~~
':
27
contained within his poetry.
If his theory falls short of
completeness or lacks mathematical precision, it is little
different from other explanations of the creative process
which have thus far been advanced.
Is it not enough that
within his poetry itself there exist concrete examples of the
theory?
After the language of the poem has been examined, after
the allusions have been identified, after the poet's message has
been assimilated, there still remains the essence of the poem
which is closer to its creator than anything else.
It is the
manner in which the poet employed the language and the allusions
to obtain a total effect.
The complex mental process may never
be totally understood, but it is surprising that when one of the
greatest poets of our century endeavors to put into words his
thoughts on the subject they are received with so little comment
by his critics.
One could gloss over the importance of Eliot's explanation,
as Schwartz asserts, with the assumption that the poet was merely
restating what has been known for some time about literary techniques.
With an analysis which provides as many examples as does
The Waste Land, however, it is difficult to dismiss Eliot's comments
as mere restatement of known facts.
The poem contains numerous ex-
amples of each voice and each voice possesses unique characteristics.
The voices can be distinguished and catalogued.
Knowledge of the
theory and the ability to recognize the poet's use of each voice
enhance the reader's appreciation of the total poem.
The lack of
transitional elements becomes less of a difficulty when one understands that a change in poetic voice has occurred.
Some insight
28
is to be gained into the complexity of the process and development
of the art form, not to mention the quality and depth of understanding which accompany an analysis based, in part, on an awareness of Eliot's theory.
It would be deemed short-sighted, if
not stupid, to ignore the poet's punctuation, imagery, or allusions
when readin9 his poems.
Would it not be equally presumptuous to
dismiss lightly his earnest attempt to explain one of the methods
by which he puts his thoughts into written form?
BIBLIOGRl:;PHY
ldken, Conrad.
:srooks,
IIj\n.
?\'n2.to:'~y
of
l~elancholy, 11
The SCHanec Rcvim.',
1956, Srcci21 ISslte), 188-96.
(Jnnuary-M~rch,
L~;:~IV
"T.S. :81 :\0-;:' :::":L1~(e::::- i:nc'! .'~rtist, 11 'T'le
Revic\J, L :~~I V (2',~ 'iU =,'.-'7- La:::-c',. , J ') 6:-:; , S-')cci." }.
,u,.sue), 310-76.
Cle.?,2:1t~l.
SE~'...J2nee
'~~:h.e
~:clC<l_::-'~()n
Trea.r_:~~2;)_~
~-o:-~(,
0t
~ ~·Io(tcr·-'.
I>oc-~-:,s
!:o2c1i. ~\:-, TC 200 G,
.:.~C~!
!:.~,.
Drc','7,
" C'l'
TleJ
t. ,
Eliot.
C'l~
nt,-l
--
c.
~~_-:.C'
::;e~··:t:.~·~C>~
S~eci~l
:~C2~;)C.~~t.
;.,)
.
,'c;o--.C
:~C:-<"Ti c~."
~~suC:),
I.J~C~'=IT/
239-~~.
I!E}__10 i -,, S
Ec~::-JJ.ic2tor,
IC::--::-.I":-'er,
.
=0!:111
0·-:_~lc.
'1Eliot·.-:. T~~~(;
:'==CIV U, ny j l, 1 9 6 7
r;
1~ L~_-t t.~-li G,,(~ ,:: c:!:'-l,
~~or'::
2.-~ <'-. i;:::
O:;:forc
:2' r
7.9
.
(J ~-:." ': 1, ,~~' .~\ 7-J =~_~ ~c;--.
,
,
II
30
I"Itlcl:~ic~'~~,
l~.~~r~li~'1.
Revi e\v, :;=
Sch~J~.rt::::,
Delmore.
"TLe T'>JO Voices of Pr. Eliot,"
(~jnter
1957-58), 599-605.
"T. S. Eliot ';:; Voice
L.iC:::V (JCi.TIuary, 195')},
2.'lC~
IUs Voices," poetry,
232-,~2.
Williamson, Hugh Ross.
The Poetry of T.S. Eliot.
Hodder & Stroughton Limited, 1932.
Lonc"or: :