'Four Quartets 4: Little Gidding' by T.S. Eliot
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Four Quartets1942IMidwinter spring is its own season
Sempiternal though sodden towards sundown,
Suspended in time, between pole and tropic.
When the short day is brightest, with frost and fire,
The brief sun flames the ice, on pond and ditches,
In windless cold that is the heart's heat,
Reflecting in a watery mirror
A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon.
And glow more intense than blaze of branch, or brazier,
Stirs the dumb spirit: no wind, but pentecostal fire
In the dark time of the year. Between melting and freezing
The soul's sap quivers. There is no earth smell
Or smell of living thing. This is the spring time
But not in time's covenant. Now the hedgerow
Is blanched for an hour with transitory blossom
Of snow, a bloom more sudden
Than that of summer, neither budding nor fading,
Not in the scheme of generation.
Where is the summer, the unimaginable
Zero summer?If you came this way,
Taking the route you would be likely to take
From the place you would be likely to come from,
If you came this way in may time, you would find the hedges
White again, in May, with voluptuary sweetness.
It would be the same at the end of the journey,
If you came at night like a broken king,
If you came by day not knowing what you came for,
It would be the same, when you leave the rough road
And turn behind the pig-sty to the dull facade
And the tombstone. And what you thought you came for
Is only a shell, a husk of meaning
From which the purpose breaks only when it is fulfilled
If at all. Either you had no purpose
Or the purpose is beyond the end you figured
And is altered in fulfilment. There are other places
Which also are the world's end, some at the sea jaws,
Or over a dark lake, in a desert or a city-
But this is the nearest, in place and time,
Now and in England.If you came this way,
Taking any route, starting from anywhere,
At any time or at any season,
It would always be the same: you would have to put off
Sense and notion. You are not here to verify,
Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity
Or carry report. You are here to kneel
Where prayer has been valid. And prayer is more
Than an order of words, the conscious occupation
Of the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying.
And what the dead had no speech for, when living,
They can tell you, being dead: the communication
Of the dead is tongued with fire beyond the language of the living.
Here, the intersection of the timeless moment
Is England and nowhere. Never and always.IIAsh on and old man's sleeve
Is all the ash the burnt roses leave.
Dust in the air suspended
Marks the place where a story ended.
Dust inbreathed was a house-
The walls, the wainscot and the mouse,
The death of hope and despair,This is the death of air.There are flood and drouth
Over the eyes and in the mouth,
Dead water and dead sand
Contending for the upper hand.
The parched eviscerate soil
Gapes at the vanity of toil,
Laughs without mirth.This is the death of earth.Water and fire succeed
The town, the pasture and the weed.
Water and fire deride
The sacrifice that we denied.
Water and fire shall rot
The marred foundations we forgot,
Of sanctuary and choir.This is the death of water and fire.In the uncertain hour before the morningNear the ending of interminable nightAt the recurrent end of the unending
After the dark dove with the flickering tongueHad passed below the horizon of his homingWhile the dead leaves still rattled on like tin
Over the asphalt where no other sound wasBetween three districts whence the smoke aroseI met one walking, loitering and hurried
As if blown towards me like the metal leavesBefore the urban dawn wind unresisting.And as I fixed upon the down-turned face
That pointed scrutiny with which we challengeThe first-met stranger in the waning duskI caught the sudden look of some dead master
Whom I had known, forgotten, half recalledBoth one and many; in the brown baked featuresThe eyes of a familiar compound ghost
Both intimate and unidentifiable.So I assumed a double part, and criedAnd heard another's voice cry: 'What! are
Editor 1 Interpretation
Four Quartets 4: Little Gidding - Literary Criticism and Interpretation
T.S. Eliot, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, wrote Four Quartets, a group of four poems that explore themes of time, memory, and spirituality. The fourth and final poem, Little Gidding, is often regarded as the most powerful and poignant of the four. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will examine the themes, symbols, and structure of Little Gidding and explore how they contribute to the poem's meaning.
Background
Before we dive into the analysis of the poem, it's essential to understand the context in which it was written. Little Gidding was published in 1942, during World War II, and Eliot himself was serving as an air raid warden in London. The poem was written as a response to Eliot's personal and global turmoil, and it reflects his belief in the transformative power of art and faith in times of crisis.
Themes
At its core, Little Gidding is a meditation on the nature of time and the human experience of it. The poem is divided into five sections, each exploring a different aspect of this theme. In the first section, Eliot describes the "endless cycle of idea and action" that characterizes human experience. He suggests that our attempts to escape time, through art or religion, ultimately fail because "what we call the beginning is often the end" - the past and the future are one and the same, and time is a "dance" that we cannot escape.
The second section of the poem explores the idea of memory and how it shapes our experience of time. Eliot suggests that memory is not a passive act of recalling the past but an active one that shapes our present and future. He writes, "What might have been is an abstraction / Remaining a perpetual possibility / Only in a world of speculation." In other words, our memories of the past are not fixed but constantly changing as we reinterpret them in the present.
The third section of the poem is perhaps the most overtly religious, exploring the idea of divine grace and redemption. Eliot suggests that our attempts to escape time and achieve eternal life are futile without God's intervention. He writes, "the fire and the rose are one," suggesting that heaven and earth, the spiritual and the physical, are not separate but intertwined.
In the fourth section, Eliot returns to the theme of memory, exploring the idea that our memories are not just personal but also collective. He describes the "memorable fancy" of collective memory, the shared myths and stories that shape our understanding of the world. Eliot suggests that these stories are not just passive objects of study but active and transformative forces that shape our present and future.
Finally, in the fifth section, Eliot suggests that the only way to escape time and achieve a transcendent experience is through surrender. He writes, "The only hope, or else despair / Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre— / To be redeemed from fire by fire." In other words, the only way to transcend time is to burn away our attachments to it and surrender to the divine.
Symbols
Throughout Little Gidding, Eliot uses a variety of symbols to reinforce the themes of the poem. One of the most prominent symbols is that of fire, which appears throughout the poem as a symbol of both destruction and transformation. In the third section of the poem, fire is used to represent divine grace, while in the fifth section, it is used to represent the transformative power of surrender.
Another important symbol in the poem is that of the rose, which appears in the third section. The rose is a symbol of divine love and grace and is used to suggest that the spiritual and physical worlds are not separate but intertwined.
The idea of the dance is also an important symbol in the poem, representing the cyclical nature of time and human experience. Eliot suggests that we are all caught in a dance that we cannot escape, and that our attempts to do so are ultimately futile.
Finally, the image of the journey is an important symbol in the poem, representing the human experience of time and the search for transcendence. Eliot suggests that the journey is not just a physical one but also a spiritual one, and that the ultimate goal is to achieve a state of surrender and transcendence.
Structure
The structure of Little Gidding is complex and highly symbolic, with each section of the poem building on the themes and symbols of the previous sections. The poem is divided into five sections, each of which has its own distinct structure and tone.
The first section is characterized by a sense of urgency and restlessness, with short, fragmented lines that suggest the chaotic and fleeting nature of time. The second section is more introspective and contemplative, with longer, more complex lines that suggest the depth and complexity of memory.
The third section is the most overtly religious, with a more formal structure and an emphasis on rhyme and repetition. The fourth section is more narrative, with a focus on the power of collective memory and the transformative nature of stories.
Finally, the fifth section is characterized by a sense of surrender and release, with longer, more flowing lines that suggest a state of transcendence.
Conclusion
In Little Gidding, T.S. Eliot explores some of the most profound questions of human existence, including the nature of time, memory, and spirituality. Through a complex and highly symbolic structure, he suggests that the only way to transcend time and achieve a transcendent experience is through surrender and the acceptance of divine grace. Although the poem was written during a time of war and crisis, its message is timeless and universal, offering a powerful and thought-provoking meditation on the human experience of time and the search for transcendence.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Four Quartets 4: Little Gidding by T.S. Eliot is a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores the themes of time, memory, and spirituality. This poem is the final part of Eliot's Four Quartets, a series of four poems that were written over a period of six years, from 1935 to 1942. The poem is named after Little Gidding, a village in Cambridgeshire, England, where a small Anglican community was established in the 17th century. The poem is a meditation on the nature of time and the human experience of it, as well as a reflection on the spiritual journey of the individual.
The poem opens with a description of the landscape of Little Gidding, with its "damp gusts" and "smoke-filled air." Eliot uses vivid imagery to create a sense of the place, and the reader is immediately drawn into the world of the poem. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, with its focus on the transience of human life and the inevitability of death. Eliot writes:
"What we call the beginning is often the end And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."
These lines are a reflection on the cyclical nature of time, and the idea that every ending is also a new beginning. Eliot suggests that the end of one thing is the start of something else, and that this process is a natural part of the human experience.
The second stanza of the poem is a reflection on memory and the role it plays in shaping our understanding of the world. Eliot writes:
"We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time."
These lines suggest that the process of exploring the world and our own experiences is a never-ending one, and that the ultimate goal is to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Eliot suggests that this process is cyclical, and that we often return to the same places and experiences, but with a new perspective that allows us to see them in a different light.
The third stanza of the poem is a reflection on the spiritual journey of the individual. Eliot writes:
"We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time."
These lines suggest that the spiritual journey is a never-ending one, and that the ultimate goal is to achieve a deeper understanding of the self and the divine. Eliot suggests that this journey is cyclical, and that we often return to the same spiritual experiences, but with a new perspective that allows us to see them in a different light.
The fourth and final stanza of the poem is a reflection on the nature of time and the human experience of it. Eliot writes:
"We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time."
These lines suggest that time is a cyclical process, and that every ending is also a new beginning. Eliot suggests that the human experience of time is a never-ending one, and that the ultimate goal is to achieve a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
In conclusion, Four Quartets 4: Little Gidding by T.S. Eliot is a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores the themes of time, memory, and spirituality. The poem is a meditation on the nature of time and the human experience of it, as well as a reflection on the spiritual journey of the individual. Eliot uses vivid imagery and powerful language to create a sense of the place and draw the reader into the world of the poem. The poem is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to explore the deepest questions of human existence, and to provide a glimpse into the mysteries of the universe.
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