Preludes (Eliot) - T.S. Eliot
A Glimpse into Urban Despair and Fragmented Lives
The winter evening settles down
With smell of steaks in passageways.
Six o’clock.
The burnt-out ends of smoky days.
And now a gusty shower wraps
The grimy scraps
Of withered leaves about your feet
And newspapers from vacant lots;
The showers beat
On broken blinds and chimney-pots,
And at the corner of the street
A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.
And then the lighting of the lamps.
II
The morning comes to consciousness
Of faint stale smells of beer
From the sawdust-trampled street
With all its muddy feet that press
To early coffee-stands.
One thinks of all the hands
That are raising dingy shades
In a thousand furnished rooms.
III
You tossed a blanket from the bed,
You lay upon your back, and waited;
You dozed, and watched the night revealing
The thousand sordid images
Of which your soul was constituted;
They flickered against the ceiling.
And when all the world came back
And the light crept up between the shutters
And you heard the sparrows in the gutters,
You had such a vision of the street
As the street hardly understands;
Sitting along the bed’s edge, where
You curled the papers from your hair,
Or clasped the yellow soles of feet
In the palms of both soiled hands.
IV
His soul stretched tight across the skies
That fade behind a city block,
Or trampled by insistent feet
At four and five and six o’clock;
And short square fingers stuffing pipes,
And evening newspapers, and eyes
Assured of certain certainties,
The conscience of a blackened street
Impatient to assume the world.
I am moved by fancies that are curled
Around these images, and cling:
The notion of some infinitely gentle
Infinitely suffering thing.
Wipe your hand across your mouth, and laugh;
The worlds revolve like ancient women
Gathering fuel in vacant lots.
Overview of "Preludes" by T.S. Eliot
"Preludes" is a poem written by T.S. Eliot, capturing the essence of urban life in the early 20th century through vivid imagery and fragmented scenes. The poem consists of four sections, each offering a glimpse into the monotony and decay present in city environments. Through these snapshots, Eliot conveys themes of alienation, spiritual desolation, and the repetitive nature of daily existence.
Section I: Evening to Nightfall
The first section sets the scene during a winter evening. It opens with sensory details like "smell of steaks in passageways", evoking the atmosphere of a bustling city transitioning from day to night. The phrase "Six o’clock" marks the end of another workday, symbolizing routine and exhaustion. The description of "burnt-out ends of smoky days" suggests depletion and weariness, both literal and metaphorical.
- Weather: A sudden rainstorm wraps around the narrator, scattering debris such as "withered leaves" and old newspapers—an image that reflects chaos and neglect.
- Urban Decay: Broken blinds and chimney-pots highlight the dilapidated state of urban infrastructure, while the lonely cab-horse embodies isolation amidst the city's hustle.
- Human Presence: The lighting of street lamps signifies human intervention against the encroaching darkness, yet it also underscores the artificiality of city life.
Section II: Morning Awakening
In contrast to the previous section, this part focuses on the morning after. Here, Eliot portrays the awakening city through stale smells of beer lingering in the air—a remnant of the previous night’s activities. The mention of muddy feet pressing towards coffee stands illustrates the mechanical nature of people resuming their routines.
- Collective Struggle: The act of raising dingy shades in numerous furnished rooms hints at the shared experience of countless individuals starting another mundane day.
- Depersonalization: There is no individuality here; instead, there is a collective sense of drudgery and repetition.
Section III: Introspection and Revelation
This section delves deeper into personal introspection. The speaker describes lying awake at night, observing the sordid images flickering on the ceiling—images representing inner turmoil and existential dread. As dawn breaks, the return of everyday sounds (like sparrows chirping) brings back reality, but not without revealing a profound vision of the street's hidden truths.
- Inner Turmoil: The soul’s constitution made up of "thousand sordid images" reflects internal conflict and disillusionment.
- Moment of Clarity: Despite the grim surroundings, the speaker gains insight into the street’s deeper meaning, one that remains elusive to those caught within its confines.
- Physical Details: Actions like curling papers from hair or clasping soiled feet emphasize physical discomfort and perhaps shame.
Section IV: Spiritual Reflection
The final section broadens the scope to consider broader philosophical implications. The soul stretched across the skies fading behind buildings or trampled underfoot represents the loss of spiritual depth in modern life. Short square fingers stuffing pipes and reading evening papers suggest complacency and acceptance of superficial certainties.
- Spiritual Desolation: The conscience of a blackened street impatiently waiting for renewal highlights societal stagnation and moral decay.
- Fantasy vs Reality: Eliot muses about fanciful notions clinging to harsh realities, imagining an infinitely gentle yet suffering entity—a possible nod to divine grace amidst despair.
- Closure: The closing lines encourage laughter despite bleakness, likening worldly cycles to ancient women gathering fuel in vacant lots—a poignant reminder of humanity’s enduring struggle.
Conclusion
T.S. Eliot’s "Preludes" paints a stark picture of urban life characterized by monotony, decay, and existential questioning. Through rich imagery and fragmented narratives, he captures the essence of a world where spiritual fulfillment seems distant, if not entirely lost. Yet, even in this bleak portrayal, there remains a glimmer of hope—a yearning for something more profound and meaningful beyond the surface-level realities of daily existence.
Key points
T.S. Eliot's 'Preludes' captures the bleakness and alienation of city life, portraying fragmented human experiences amidst industrialization; it reflects on themes like societal decay, existential loneliness, and the loss of meaning in a rapidly modernizing world, urging readers to confront the often-overlooked despair hidden beneath everyday routines.
