The Waste Land Group

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peluza74
peluza74
Student
College - Senior

What references to death and rebirth can you find in “The Waste Land:The Burial of the Dead”?

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Posted by peluza74 on Thursday February 7, 2008 at 6:04 PM and tagged with death, rebirth, the waste land, themes.

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  1. amy-lepore Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    In section I of the Waste Land, The Burial of the Dead, the voices are reminiscient of Spoon River Anthology where all the characters are speaking from their graves.  Hyacinth girl especially reminds me of this.

    Eliot is obviously burying these characters, and there are references to Dante's Inferno with the ring of fire and all the people walking in circles/rings.

    It is set in April, although he says it is the cruellest month--a time when flowers bloom and new life begins but are in danger of a late frost taking them over before they've really had a chance to grow.

    April also reminds the speaker of a passion in the past (rebirth) that is not likely to be rekindled...maybe because she is no longer capable of recognizing passion or feeling (death).

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/waste-land/

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    Posted by amy-lepore on Friday February 8, 2008 at 7:50 AM