ABSTRACT
Alienation, uncertainty, and complexity of the modern age drive its writers to
do something in one way or another .T.S. Eliot (1888–1965), one of the most
influential modernist poets of his time, dedicates major of his poetry to expose
the modern individual's inability that he sees in himself and in his society.
According to some critics, "The Hollow Men" (1925), is one of Eliot's most
difficult poems. It is a dramatisation of a state of spiritual and emotional
sterility, in which Eliot tragically presents a group of men aware of the
shallowness of the society which they conform.
This study is an attempt to convey Eliot's mood and theme through "The
Hollow Men" to discuss specifically the state of spiritual and emotional sterility.
Accordingly, the study starts with an introduction which sheds light on the poet's
thought and the poem, and revolves around the insignificance of the individual
in the modern age. Then, it traces Eliot's themes of emptiness, hollowness, and
spiritual and emotional sterility. Finally, the study summarizes the reasons of
spiritual and emotional sterility, and its results on the modern individuals. The
study ends with notes and bibliography.
Thomas Stearns Eliot ( 26 Sept. 1888 - 4 Jan. 1965 ), poet, critic, and
editor, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is considered one of the well
acknowledged representative figures of the twentieth century whose literary
talent speaks of itself so boldly and vividly through his remarkable and
distinguished poetry. His literary career extended over a period of forty-five
years. He dominated the English literary scene with a wide poetic authority and
influence. He tried his hand at poetry, at drama, at criticism, both literary |