“The Waste Land”

 “The Waste Land”

The poem “The Waste Land” is based on Christianity and faith in god. Eliot is believer of god, he use so many myth in this poem. At some point this poem is backward looking. Even his ideas are also backward and regressive. Because Eliot take help of Upnishada, Buddhism and Christianity for gating answer, solution of the contemporary problems or malaise. There is no doubt that all universal human laws are true. Eliot used all myth and historical fact as his weapon to prove his point.Friedrich Nietzsche is seems to be progressive and forward looking, when he gives solution of contemporary malaise. He believes in faith in self and concept of ‘superman’. Nietzsche believe that there is big different between modern malaise and mythical concept. In other words we don’t found our modern questions answer in past or in history (myth). 

Eliot believes that one must follows tradition for ‘salvation’. Sigmund Freud and Eliot both are opposite from each other. According to Freud for salvation one should be collective and individual balance, which should constantly take into account man’s primitive instincts. He says that there is no need of tradition for salvation. In this poem he talks about spiritual degradation and sexual perversion. He believes in ‘life in death and death in life’ the cycle of life.

We know that Eliot is also aware a bought Indian history, myths and Upnishada also. In this poem we found context of river Gunga, Upnishda, Prjapti and ‘what thunder said’. In thunder there are three type of ‘Da’. First ‘Da’ is data it means what we have given, be giver. When other gives their blood then we becomes happy. In other word their blood shaking or giving something makes us what we are today. Second ‘Da’ is Dayadhvam it means sympathies and empathies. Self ‘Ego’ is prison and it opened by ‘self’ only. Self is kind of master key for all kind of prison. Thread ‘Da’ is Damyata it means self-control and control over once passion and desires the life of senses. ‘The boat responded’. This all three ‘Da’ told by Prajapti to all mankind. Eliot use Shantih, Shantih, Shantih three time in the last line of the poem. It is symbolic one. It connects with absolute detachment for spiritual salvation. Eliot end it with hope that there is some good thing happened in ‘Waste Land’.