Assess the contribution of T. S.
Eliot to modern English poetry.
Answer: T.S Eliot is considered as one of the most important modernist poets. The content of his poem as well as his poetic style give elements of the modern movement that was famous during his time. In fact, modernism was viewed as "a rejection of traditional 19th-century norms, whereby artists, architects, poets and thinkers either altered or abandoned earlier conventions in an attempt to re-envision a society in flux." Modernism was also mainly represented by orientation towards fragmentation, free verse, contradictory allusions and multiple points of view different from the Victorian and Romantic writing. These modern features appear greatly in the works of Eliot. Two of the most prominent poems where Eliot shows his modern orientations are "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "The Waste Land."
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is regarded as one of the basic modernist poems. It shows the modern elements of disintegration of life and mental stability. The poem speaks about the problem of the modern man, Prufrock. He laments his physical and intellectual shortcomings, the lack of opportunities in his life in addition to the lack of spiritual progress. What is impressive is that the setting of the poem can be understood to be either as a real place or a mental state reflecting the sub-conscious of the person.
The most important modernist technique in the poem is the stream-of-consciousness technique. This technique reflects the fragmentary nature of the modern man's mentality. It also a allows the reader to explore the inner self of the character. As seen in the poem, Prufrock's thought shifts very often from trivial to significant issues and vice versa.
