Tracing T. S. Eliot's Spirit: Essays on his Poetry and Thought

by A. David Moody

Overview

A. David Moody examines T. S. Eliot's "peregrinations"—his quest for the world of the spirit. In a series of essays Moody offers new insights into Eliot's engagement with the religions and cultures of America, India and Europe; and he shows how Eliot's major poems give form to "the deeper, unnamed feelings which form the substratum of our being." This book offers the richly informed reflections of a leading Eliot scholar; it will stimulate and enlighten students and scholars of Eliot, and any reader with an interest in the life of poetry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521480604
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/01/1996
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	5.59(w) x 8.78(h) x 0.87(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword; Part I: 1. The American strain; 2. Passage to India; 3. Peregrine in England; 4. The mind of Europe; Part II: 5. Pervigilium veneris and the modern mind; Part III: 6. The Waste Land: 'To fill all the desert with inviolable voice'; 7. The experience and the meaning: Ash Wednesday; 8. The formal pattern; 9. Four Quartets: music, word, meaning, value; 10. Being in fear of women.

Editorial Reviews

"Clearly organized, stylishly written, these essays make for a pleasant stroll through Eliot's oeuvre....in his tracings of Eliot's spirit, Moody offers not just a sketch but a fully articulated portrait of this continually enigmatic poet." Richard Badenhausen, English Literature in Transition 1880-1920

"...Moody ranges far and wide in his discussion of Eliot's 'spirit'. ...Moody gives valuable accounts of the various sources of influence to be found in Eliot's poetry, and in general shows his own considerable range as an Eliot scholar." Colin A. Clarke, American Studies International

"Moody is a skilled and experienced reader of Eliot, and he is particularly good at approaching the poetry from what he calls "different angles of vision" (xviii), so as to tease out the serpentine implications if his work. There is an excellent essay here on Eliot's "American Strain", the way the native of Saint Louis expresses the idea of national character through natural speech rhythms, as well as an interesting piece on the poet's interest in Eastern religion. ...this is a valuable book...." Paul Giles, Religion and the Arts

From the Publisher