Analyse the poem 'Preludes' by T.S. Eliot.
Preludes is a pretty name for the poem written by T.S. Eliot - it suggests music, and also the presage of an event, usually something exciting or something to look forward to. It's written in free verse,a style that fives the poet lots of freedom, and is a lyrical poem. Each section of the free verse poem was written at different times of Eliot's life during his student days at Harvard and in Europe - (13,10,15,16 line segments.) Look for the imagery that belies it's pretty title however - some of it foreshadows the barreness of his later masterpiece 'The Wasteland.' The title also suggests questions,or preludes, that the piece never answers. Note down the ways in which the poem moves from evening to morning. Look also for images that suggest the poet's discussion of modern urban life and the monotony and emptiness this sometimes brings. Look for the...
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themes of dreariness, isolation and depersonalization too - and write about the ways these themes seem to be particularly suited to depiction through a 'city poem.'
What is T.S. Eliot's "Preludes" about?
There are some people who think that "Preludes" by the poet TS Eliot actually serves as a "prelude" to some of his later works. It is true that is seems a good preparation for the cityscape and sterile concretre and rubble images of "The Wasteland." He wrote the piece in several short bursts while he a student at Harvard and also while in Europe. Although it sounds like a pretty musical theme in its title , this is ironic because it doesn't live up to that description. Time jumps about within the poem - look for instances of different times of day - and then returns to normal without "preluding" anything in particular. One of the themes it seems to talk about is the isolation and unpersonal style of modern urban city living.