Assignment 106: Mythical Techniques in 'The Waste Land'

 

Name: - Trushali Dodiya

Roll No: - 19

Semester: - 2(Batch 2022-24)

Enrolment number: - 4069206420220011

Paper No: - 106

Paper name: - The 20th Century Literature: 1900 to World War II

Paper code: - 22399

Topic: - Mythical Techniques in 'The Waste Land' by T. S. Eliot

Submitted to: - Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Email Address: - trushalidodiya84@gmail.com

 

Mythical Techniques in 'The Waste Land'

Table of Content:

• Introduction

• What is Myth

• The Role of Myth in Literature

• Mythical Techniques in ‘The Waste Land’

• Conclusion

Introduction:

            The Waste Land is a poem written by Thomas Sterns Eliot. It was published in 1922, first in London in The Criterion (October) and next in New York City in The Dial (November), and finally in book form, with footnotes by Eliot. The poem contains Five parts and 434-line which was dedicated to fellow poet Ezra Pound, who helped condense the original manuscript to nearly half its size. It is being considered as one of the most influential works of the 20th century. The Waste Land depicts the disillusionment and disgust of the period after the first World War. (Kuiper)

 Eliot uses two types of illusions in 'The Waste Land':

 

So, myths and literary allusions play a vital role to shape 'The Waste Land'.

About T. S. Eliot:

   Thomas Sterns Eliot is highly distinguished as a poet, a literary critic, a dramatist, an editor, and a publisher of the 20th century. He was born on September 26, 1888, in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. Eliot’s most notable works include The Waste Land (1922), Four Quartets (1943), and the play Murder in the Cathedral (1935). (Eliot et al.)

 

What is Myth?

         Myth is simply a symbolic narrative which is usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that is especially associated with religious belief. Myth is distinguished from symbolic behaviour (cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons). Myths are specific accounts of gods or superhuman beings involved in extraordinary events or circumstances in a time that is unspecified but which is understood as existing apart from ordinary human experience. The term mythology denotes both the study of myth and the body of myths belonging to a particular religious tradition. 

(“Myth | Definition, History, Examples, & Facts | Britannica”)

                                                                                            

According to Marriam Webster Dictionary,

 “Myth is a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.”

 

The Role of Myth in Literature:

          Myths are prevalent in numerous literary works, often utilised to convey universal archetypes. These stories have a widespread familiarity among people, having been passed down from generation to generation, and as such, they hold a profound connection with individuals. The myths that people grow up hearing often form the basis for many of their beliefs and customs. It is, therefore, convenient to impart ideas or values through myths, as they serve as a familiar and relatable platform for communication.

Winston Weathers while talking about Myth and Literature in his Article ‘MYTHOLOGY IN MODERN LITERATURE’ notes that,

"One of the best ways to make the term(Myth) truly useful in literary experience is to look at what writers actually do in the creation of the stories, poems. Basically a writer may report unique and particular experiences or he may give his version of universal and archetypal experience or he may do some of both."

Mythical Technics in The Waste Land:

                T. S. Eliot in his masterpiece ‘The Waste Land’ incorporates numerous myths to convey the central ideas of it. He collects various myths from worldwide cultures and intertwines all those myths in his work to connote the universal appeal. The mythical technique imparts unity by emphasising the similarity of all experiences. There are mythological figures, such as Tiresias, Tristan, and Isolde, and lines from poems, operas, and works of literature that span genres and cultures Throughout the poem, Eliot uses various Myths to convey the idea of barrenness of the Modern world. He mainly describes three myths and thus three mythical Waste Lands:

• The Myth of Tiresias

• The Myth of the Fisher King

• The Myth of Sibyl

• The Myth of Hyacinth

• The Myth of Cupidon

• The Myth of Philomel

• The Myth of Tereu

The epigraph of the poem is taken Satyricon which deals with the myth of Sibyl:

"Nam Sibyllam quidem Cumis ego ipse oculis meis

vidi in ampulla pendere, et cum illi pueri dicerent:

Sibylla ti thelehyis; respondebat illa: apothanein thelo." (Eliot)

It means, "I saw with my own eyes the Sibyl at Cumae hanging in a jar / cage, and when the boys said to her, Sibyl, what do you want? she replied ‘I want to die’."

           She typifies the time woven soul’s desire to escape from the ‘Wheel’ of things. Thus the epigraph itself sets the tone of the whole poem which goes with the barrenness of the modern world.

         While incorporating literary illusion, Eliot takes reference from Jessie Weston’s ‘From Rituals to Romance’ and James Frazer’s ‘The Golden Bough', which talk about the myth of the Fisher King and the myth of vegetation. Eliot himself accepts the debt of both the writers in the introductory note of the poem.

“Not only the title, but the plan and a good deal of the incidental symbolism of the poem were suggested by Miss Jessie. L Weston’s book on the Grail legend … Indeed, so deeply am indebted, Miss Weston’s book will elucidate the difficulties of the poem much better than my notes can do; and I recommend it (apart from the great interest of the book itself) to any who think such elucidation of the poem worth the trouble. From Ritual to Romance (Macmillan)Indeed, so deeply am I indebted, Miss Weston's book will elucidate the difficulties of the poem much better than my notes can do; and I recommend it (apart from the great interest of the book itself) to any who think such elucidation of the poem worth the trouble. To another work of anthropology I am indebted in general, one which has influenced our generation profoundly; I mean The Golden Bough; I have used especially the two volumes Adonis, Attis, Osiris.  Anyone who is acquainted with these works will immediately recognise in the poem certain references to vegetation ceremonies.”

The Myth of Tiresias:

          Tiresias, in Greek mythology, a blind Theban seer, the son of one of Athena’s favourites, the nymph Chariclo. He is a participant in several well-known legends. Among the ancient authors who mention him are Sophocles, Euripides, Pindar, and Ovid.

At Thebes, Tiresias played an active part in the tragic events involving Laius, the king of Thebes, and his son Oedipus. Later legend told that he lived for seven (or nine) generations, dying after the expedition of the Seven Against Thebes. Meanwhile he also has been transformed into woman and then in main again which means he has experienced both the genders in himself only. (“Tiresias | Greek mythology | Britannica”)

          Tiresias is the unifying link in the poem who  is the connecting link between past and the present. The whole poem is Tiresias’s stream of consciousness. While reading the poem, one may feel detachment at some point as Eliot uses varied fragments various places, myths and literature, at that time Tiresias is a unifying symbol, without whom the poem would be a phantasmagoria, a nightmare, a series of disconnected scenes and meaningless talks, incoherent and confused. Tiresias assumes many masks and his voice alternates with the voices of the inmates of the modern waste land, and at times with the ghostly voices from the past.

        Tiresias, having lived as both male and female, symbolises the diverse experiences of human consciousness and the collective wisdom gained over time. As a detached observer and prophetic figure, he provides commentary on the ever-evolving human condition, while also sharing in the sufferings of human existence. He embodies the voice of compassion and serves as the conscience of humanity, grieving over its spiritual decline in the modern era. His unique experience as both genders makes him the ideal representative of humanity, passionately burning in the flames of desire.

The Myth of Fisher King and the Holy Grail:

         The Fisher King is a figure in Arthurian legend- a British King who was tasked to guard the Holy Grail The story is about a king who has been wounded, and as a result, his land suffers from a drought and is barren. The only hope for the land's recovery is to find the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. The crops do not grow and the animals cannot reproduce. The plight of the land is connected with the plight of the lord of the land. The curse can be removed only by the appearance of a knight who will ask the meanings of the various symbols which are displayed to him in the castle. The shift in meaning from physical to spiritual sterility is easily made, and was, as a matter of fact, made in certain of the legends. As Eliot has pointed out, knowledge of this symbolism is essential for an understanding of the poem.

In ‘What the Thunder Said’ Eliot depicts barrenness where the scenes are quite similar to the Myth of the Fisher King and the Holy Grail.

“We who were living are now dying

With a little patience”  (Eliot)

“In a flash of lightning. Then a damp gust

Bringing rain” (Eliot)

The Myth of Vegetation:

        The myth of Vegetation prevails in almost each and every culture, which are closely connected with various rituals regarding nature. The myth of vegetation represents the fertility and cycle of life(birth-death-rebirth).

The Myth of Hyacinth:

        Hyacinthus, in Greek legend a young man of Amyclae in Laconia. According to the usual version, his great beauty attracted the love of Apollo, who killed him accidentally while teaching him to throw the discus. Out of his blood there grew the flower called hyacinths (perhaps a fritillary; not the modern hyacinth). (“Hyacinthus | Greek mythology | Britannica”)

The Waste Land, Hyacinth denotes the flower of sensuous love.

"You gave me hyacinths” (Eliot)

Biblical Myth: 

Eliot also incorporates the Waste Land of Emmaus mentioned in Ecclesiastes and Ezekiel in the Old Testament.

          Only using myths or the illusions of myths can not give the fruitful outcome to any work of art, but the synchronisation or unification of those myths in literary art is essential which converts it into a unifying story. Though Eliot uses various fragmentary illusions from literature and myths, the whole of the poem is not only being conveyed but rather provides the universal appeal to the whole human race. To maintain relativity between myths and the subject of the work of much importance. This is what provides the unifying story of the barrenness of the modern world by Eliot. 

Conclusion:

           To Conclude, by using various mythical illusions in ‘The Waste Land’, Eliot provides us a unifying meaning of the condition of the modern world, which is being degraded in each and every aspect. The continuous spiritual barrenness and loss of humanity is portrayed rightfully with similar examples of myths. Thus, the use of mythical techniques gives a unique contribution to convey the whole of the poem.

{Words: 1826}

Works Cited

Eliot, T. S. The Waste Land. Copia Interactive, LLC, 2021.

Eliot, T. S., et al. “T. S. Eliot.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/t-s-eliot. Accessed 31 March 2023.

“Hyacinthus | Greek mythology | Britannica.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hyacinthus. Accessed 31 March 2023.

“Tiresias | Greek mythology | Britannica.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tiresias. Accessed 31 March 2023.

Weathers, Winston. “MYTHOLOGY IN MODERN LITERATURE.” The D.H. Lawrence Review, vol. 6, no. 2, 1973, pp. 201–13. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44233424. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.