Concetti Chiave
- Eliot studied at Harvard and the Sorbonne, later working in London, which influenced his literary career.
- He married Vivien Haigh-Wood and faced personal struggles, including time spent in a sanatorium.
- Eliot converted to the Church of England in 1927, reflecting a shift in his personal beliefs.
- His literary style was shaped by diverse influences, including Metaphysical poets, Dante, the Bible, and Hindu texts.
- Eliot's work often explores themes of societal disillusionment, yet later works introduce elements of hope and joy.
Eliot's early life and education
Eliot was born in 1888 in St Louis, Missouri. He was educated at Harvard and à la Sorbonne in Paris, where he attended Henri Bergson’s lectures. He then went to live in London, where he started working as a clerk in Lloyd’s bank. In 1915 he married the ballet dancer Vivien Haigh-Wood. He then became a director for a publishing company and the editor of the magazine The Criterion which helped him publish his own works and the ones of young authors. His wife was sick, and he was also, so he spent some time in Lausanne in a sanatorium, where poetry was the only refuge to his unhappiness. In 1927 he became part of the Church of England, deviating from the lack of faith and morality that was society at the time. He finally separated from his wife, who was relegated in an asylum, where she died in 1947. In 1948 he received the Nobel for literature and died in 1965 in London.
Influences and literary style
Eliot’s work has been highly influenced by John Donne, the Metaphysical poets, and Dante’s Divina Commedia; but also by the Bible and Hindu sacred works. He took juxtaposition from the French Symbolists.
• 1st: his works are characterised by a lack of faith in society and a profound feeling of unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
• 2nd: in the more recent philosophical works he aims at purification, hope and joy.
Domande da interrogazione
- What were the key influences on Eliot's literary style?
- What shift in themes can be observed in Eliot's later works?
Eliot's literary style was influenced by John Donne, the Metaphysical poets, Dante’s Divina Commedia, the Bible, Hindu sacred works, and the French Symbolists, which contributed to his use of juxtaposition and thematic depth.
In Eliot's later works, there is a noticeable shift towards themes of purification, hope, and joy, contrasting with his earlier works characterized by a lack of faith in society and feelings of unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
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