Many critics emphasize that T.S. Eliot composed The Waste Land during a period of severe mental distress. Similarly, a group of post–World War I writers, known as the surrealists, sought to produce literary works while in altered states of consciousness, often induced through methods like hypnosis. The Magnetic Fields (1920), a collection of prose poems by French poets André Breton and Phillipe Soupault, resulted from one such mental experiment, an intensive project spanning eight days.

Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” initially published in the magazine Poetry (1915) and later included in Prufrock, and Other Observations (1917), is regarded as one of his most significant works. Similar to The Waste Land, this poem intertwines classical references with contemporary imagery. It narrates the musings of the titular character, a man plagued by self-doubt and pessimism regarding his own future and that of society.

In 1971, Eliot’s estate authorized the publication of a facsimile edition of the poet’s original 800-line manuscript, titled The Waste Land: A Facsimile of the Original Drafts, Including the Annotations of Ezra Pound. As the title suggests, the book features Pound’s original revision notes, as well as annotations from Eliot’s first wife and Eliot himself. This significant edition, which includes an introduction by Eliot’s widow, Valerie Eliot, provided critics and readers with valuable insights into the creation process of the 1922 version.

In his original notes for The Waste Land, Eliot mentioned being inspired by Sir James G. Frazer’s The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, initially published in two volumes in 1890 and later condensed into a single volume in 1922. Although it was popular at the time, this book, which explores the origins of magic and religion and their relevance to the modern world, faced substantial criticism in subsequent years.

Ernest Hemingway is arguably the most renowned member of the Lost Generation of American writers. Like The Waste Land, Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises (1926) delves into the post–World War I sense of disillusionment. The protagonist, Jake Barnes, a World War I veteran, grapples with physical and psychological wounds from the war that significantly impact his life and worldview.

Although Ezra Pound is considered one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers, he never achieved a broad readership, partly because he dedicated much of his time to mentoring emerging writers like Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and Robert Frost. Nevertheless, Pound produced a notable series of works, the Cantos, published in parts from 1917 to 1968, totaling 117 sections. While some regard this as a masterpiece, its chaotic and fragmented style, akin to Eliot’s The Waste Land, alienated certain critics and readers.

In his notes on The Waste Land, Eliot also acknowledges the influence of Jessie L. Weston’s From Ritual to Romance (1920). This book delves into the Grail legend of King Arthur and examines its connection to the documented myths of ancient mystery cults and their fertility rituals.