Best Eliot Poem...

I really enjoyed this poem. As I said in class, it is very lucid. In typical Eliot form, it is separated into sections which I find interesting. I am beginning to question his motivation for separating poems into sections. I think it reflects the parts of his life. As he writes in parts, he is showing a part of his soul to the reader. This is very interesting because he is against associating the author’s personal life with the work. However, I cannot think of what else he could be talking about.  
 I feel like associating this poem with a social situation would be taking the simplicity away from it. Instead, I think it’s important to acknowledge that this poem also came at a pivotal point in Eliot’s spiritual life. I think he uses a lot of religious elements as he tries to mull through all of the ideas of religion. The references to Heart of Darkness seem to be a reference to the literal dark heart. The references The Divine Comedy seem to deal directly with the religious aspect of Eliot’s life. The affect of being a traitor, and shame, to me, deals with the idea of shame associated with a religious unaccepted. I’d like to say more but I’m not sure I remember enough to make a logical point.
 The last section of the poem truly highlights the idea that the text is a peek into Eliot’s soul. It almost seems like a prayer of some sort as he confesses the kingdom to be the true place of finality. It almost seems like he has come to a realization about something in life, and this last stanza reflects the way he resolves something, which goes with what we discussed in class.