Table of ContentsIntroductionBodyConclusionIntroductionThe poetry of TS Eliot often paints a disturbing and disturbing portrait of the turmoil inherent in modern times, as he depicts a fueled atmosphere through anxieties but which is futile, and through his works, he questions the internal struggle of modern man. The modern era has been marked by increased anxiety and the breakdown of traditionalism. Industrial and technological advancements have led to spiritual and moral uncertainty, creating collapse and disorder within society. Eliot's insightful poetry examines this widespread sense of despair, highlighting the turbulent nature of modernity. His poems “Preludes” (1917) and “Rhapsody on a Windy Night” (1917) both describe the uncertainty regarding this fragmented society. In particular, these works explore a feeling of disconnection resulting from the rapid technological advancements manifest in modern man. It is Eliot's ability to express and comment on the modern world in our contemporary society, where human interaction is dissipating due to advanced technologies, that allows his work to position itself as a canonical text. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essayBodyEliot expresses the disturbing uncertainty that plagues modern societies before, during, and after the devastating revelations of the modern world, such as the First Eliot's World War. era and the disenchantment associated with such turmoil. These circumstances fostered a feeling of loneliness and, due to rapid industrialization and the spread of urban life, the individual isolated from community and connection is reflected in "Preludes". Eliot's lack of detail about the city in which the poem takes place, this desolate environment. Eliot's anti-romantic imagery is expressed through a lexical chain of "filthy remains," "withered leaves," and an oppressive sense of despair. This highlights the universal nature of the struggles of modernity: the setting could be any major city and the inhabitants could reflect any of the readers. Eliot extends this discouragement to the people through the images Eliot depicts, which perpetuate his notion of the objective correlative. As such, the individual as reflected in the objects and images depicted reinforces the slow psychological and even moral decadence of humanity. Images such as “the thousand sordid images / Of which your soul was made” as they “flickered against the ceiling” reflect the unconscious preoccupation with moral degradation. Moreover, individuals in this modern urban society do not notice their own suffering, because they are like everyone else in the urban landscape, reduced to superficial workers with a busy schedule of "insistent feet/at four, five and six hours ". clock,” which is a metaphor for the oppressive demands of urban life, the rhythm of the cumulative statement suggesting the stomping of feet in a bustling environment. *LINKING PHRASE*Eliot once again represents the urbanization of the world which fostered feelings of disenchantment and disconnection of individuals from the community and which ultimately led to the fragmentation of society in "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" . Eliot articulates an authentic reflection of life in this society, "An old crab with barnacles on its back" describing the discouragement of modern man, despite the supposed "progression" of society, through the synecdoche of the crab, the presenting himself as incapable of moving forward in life despite the rapid evolution of the modernist world. Likewisemanner in which Eliot's "Preludes" paints an accumulation of sordid and fragmented images of the character's physical environment as a means of expressing the state of mind of the individual in a fragmented society. A similar form is adopted in "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" as the audience walks through the streets with the character as he remembers a series of equally sordid images. In these two poems, Eliot in turn symbolizes the state of society and the internal state of individuals in this discouraged modern world. Particularly in "Rhapsody on a Windy Night", Eliot depicts a woman who "hesitates towards you in the light of the door whose hem of the dress is torn and stained with sand" through the deliberate diction he alludes to the hesitation of the woman and her actions, as she evaluates the reception that the character reserves for her and expresses the tensions present between the individuals although they live in the same society. Eliot reinforces this disconnection through his imagery of shadows symbolizing such dissociation and also evokes a sense of detachment from the conscious self and, as such, represents the widespread disconnection felt within this fragmented society. Likewise, “Rhapsody on a Windy Night” explores this feeling of disconnection. In the fourth stanza, the character expresses "a child's hand, automatic, slipped and pocketed a toy...I could see nothing behind that child's eye." Eliot illustrates a homeless child who, like the woman, has been desensitized to his surroundings. as suggested by his lack of emotion in what is normally perceived as an act of youthful anticipation. Eliot illustrates this disturbing portrait of the dissociation of individuals from their emotional selves, the result of the societal unrest of the modern era. Although Eliot's poetry, to some extent, paints a bleak picture of the despondency and unrest of the modern era, it is also arguable that he reflects on the possibility of hope and wisdom in his poems. . Despite his seemingly weary and inconsolable poetic tone, Eliot also explores the individual desire for existentialism and transcendence. The voice of moral and spiritual degradation gives depth to the transcendental themes. This is evident in his poem "Preludes", in stanza IV where the character says: "I am moved by these fancies that wrap around these images and cling: The notion of something infinitely sweet.. . This somber tone, provoked by an authorial interjection, alludes to the “clinging” to a desperate hope of finding meaning beyond the modern banality of society. Eliot's terminology of "the infinite", having transcendental connotations, further suggests this aspiration for something more substantial. Although this existential tangent is short-lived, it gives the audience a glimpse of hope for a purposeful life, allowing them to see the value of humanity, even in the midst of a cold and suffering society. In Eliot’s “Rhapsody of a Windy Night,” he explores similar notions as the poem begins: “Twelve o’clock. Around the corner, a lunar synthesis takes place, whispering lunar incantations. The moment Eliot establishes often has many connotations relating to a "witching hour" and magic, creating a sense of dark enchantment. Additionally, Eliot personifies the moon as a source of wisdom, as the "whisper" suggests, encouraging the character to presume his exploration of the night and, perhaps, presume his personal existential reflection on society and himself. even. Rather than introducing these concepts at the end, Eliot introduces them at the beginning as the audience travels with the character through his memories late into the night. These late night hours are often associated with vulnerability.