Thomas Stern Eliot's life was marked by significant achievements as a poet, playwright, essayist, and literary critic. Here are some key points that highlight important aspects of his life:
1. Early Life and Education:
- Born: September 26, 1888, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
- Attended Harvard University for his undergraduate and graduate degrees. He also studied philosophy at Merton College, Oxford.
2. Literary Beginnings:
- Early Works: Published early poems and essays in literary magazines such as *The Egoist*.
- The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: Published in 1917, it marked his breakthrough as a poet and introduced his modernist style.
3. Career and Publications:
- The Waste Land: Published in 1922, this poem became one of the most important works of modernist literature.
- Criticism: Eliot's critical essays, including those in *The Sacred Wood* (1920), influenced literary criticism with concepts like the "objective correlative" and the dissociation of sensibility.
4. Editorial Work:
- Criterion: Founded and edited *Criterion*, a literary journal, from 1922 to 1939, promoting modernist literature.
- The Dial: Edited *The Dial* in the United States from 1920 to 1929, showcasing modernist writing.
5. Conversion to Anglicanism:
- 1930s: Eliot underwent a religious and spiritual transformation, converting to Anglicanism in 1927. This influenced his later poetry and plays, such as *Ash-Wednesday* (1930) and *Murder in the Cathedral* (1935).
6. Later Life and Recognition:
- Nobel Prize: Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 for his outstanding contribution to poetry.
- Plays: Wrote verse plays like *The Cocktail Party* (1949) and *The Confidential Clerk* (1954), exploring themes of morality and spiritual redemption.
7. Legacy:
- Literary Influence: Eliot's works continue to be studied and admired for their modernist experimentation, cultural critique, and profound religious and philosophical themes.
- Intellectual Impact: His essays and critical writings shaped literary criticism, contributing to the development of modernist aesthetics and literary theory.
8. Death:
- Died: January 4, 1965, in London, England.
T.S. Eliot received several awards and recognitions throughout his lifetime, acknowledging his significant contributions to literature and culture. Here is a comprehensive list:
1. Nobel Prize in Literature (1948)
2. Order of Merit (OM) from the British Monarchy (1948)
3. Dante Medal from the Dante Society (1950)
4. Tony Award for Best Play for *The Cocktail Party* (1950)
5. Hanseatic Goethe Prize from the city of Hamburg (1955)
6. Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Literature (1960)
These honors reflect Eliot's profound impact on literature, criticism, and drama, both in his native United States and internationally.
T.S. Eliot wrote numerous poems throughout his career, ranging from early works to later pieces that spanned various themes and styles. Here is a comprehensive list of all the poems written by T.S. Eliot:
1. Prufrock and Other Observations(1917):
- The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
- Portrait of a Lady
- Preludes
- Rhapsody on a Windy Night
- Morning at the Window
- The Boston Evening Transcript
- Aunt Helen
- Cousin Nancy
- Mr. Apollinax
- Hysteria
- Conversation Galante
- La Figlia che Piange
2. Poems (1920):
- Gerontion
- Burbank with a Baedeker: Bleistein with a Cigar
- Sweeney Erect
- A Cooking Egg
- Le Directeur
- Mélange adultère de tout
- Lune de Miel
- The Hippopotamus
- Dans le Restaurant
- Whispers of Immortality
- Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service
- Sweeney Among the Nightingales
- The Journey of the Magi
- Marina
3. The Waste Land (1922):
- The Burial of the Dead
- A Game of Chess
- The Fire Sermon
- Death by Water
- What the Thunder Said
4. The Hollow Men (1925):
- The Hollow Men
- A Song for Simeon
- Animula
- Marina (revised version)
5. Ariel Poems (1927–1954):
- Journey of the Magi (1927)
- A Song for Simeon (1928)
- Animula (1929)
- Marina (1930, revised version)
- Triumphal March (1931)
- The Cultivation of Christmas Trees (1954)
6. Ash-Wednesday(1930):
- Ash-Wednesday
7. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939):
- The Naming of Cats
- The Old Gumbie Cat
- Growltiger's Last Stand
- The Rum Tum Tugger
- The Song of the Jellicles
- Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer
- Old Deuteronomy
- Mr. Mistoffelees
- Macavity: The Mystery Cat
- Gus: The Theatre Cat
- Bustopher Jones: The Cat about Town
- Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat
- The Ad-dressing of Cats
8. Four Quartets (1943):
- Burnt Norton
- East Coker
- The Dry Salvages
- Little Gidding
T.S. Eliot wrote several plays throughout his career, each reflecting his distinctive style and thematic concerns. Here is a list of all the plays written by T.S. Eliot:
1. Sweeney Agonistes (1932):
- A series of poems and fragments exploring modern urban life and its discontents. While not a traditional play, it is considered a dramatic work.
2. The Rock (1934):
- A verse drama written for broadcasting, reflecting on the state of society and the role of the church.
3. Murder in the Cathedral (1935):
- A verse drama that portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.
- This play explores themes of martyrdom, political power, and spiritual redemption.
4. The Family Reunion (1939):
- A verse play that follows the character of Harry returning to his ancestral home for a family gathering.
- Themes include guilt, redemption, and the search for spiritual renewal.
5. The Cocktail Party (1949):
- A play in verse that explores themes of love, marriage, identity, and social conformity in modern urban society.
- It features a central character, Edward, who seeks guidance from a mysterious figure named the Unidentified Guest.
6. The Confidential Clerk (1953):
- A comedy play that satirizes British middle-class values and manners.
- It involves mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and themes of order versus disorder.
7. The Elder Statesman (1958):
- Eliot's final play, which explores themes of guilt, forgiveness, and the search for spiritual redemption.
- It revolves around the character of Lord Claverton, who reflects on his past decisions and their consequences.
T.S. Eliot wrote numerous essays throughout his career, covering a wide range of literary, cultural, and philosophical topics. Here is a chronological list of some of his major essays:
1. The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism (1920):
- Tradition and the Individual Talent
- The Function of Criticism
- Hamlet and His Problems
- The Metaphysical Poets
- Andrew Marvell
- Euripides and Professor Murray
- Swinburne as Critic
2. Selected Essays, 1917-1932 (1932):
- Dante
- Andrew Marvell
- Charles Whibley
- The Possibility of a Poetic Drama
- A Dialogue on Dramatic Poetry
- Philip Massinger
- Christopher Marlowe
- The Humanism of Irving Babbitt
- John Dryden
- The Classics and the Man of Letters
3. The Use of Poetry and the Use of Criticism (1933):
- The Frontiers of Criticism
- A Dialogue on Poetry
- Seneca in Elizabethan Translation
- To Criticize the Critic
- Elizabethan Dramatists
- Andrew Marvell
4. After Strange Gods: A Primer of Modern Heresy (1934):
- The Idea of a Christian Society
- Notes Towards the Definition of Culture
5. Essays Ancient and Modern (1936):
- The Function of Criticism
- The Social Function of Poetry
- French Literature and the Classics
- Arnold and Pater
- Romanticism and Classicism
- Tradition and Experimentation in Contemporary Literature
6. The Idea of a Christian Society (1940):
- Notes Towards the Definition of Culture
7. Notes Towards the Definition of Culture (1948):
- The Three Voices of Poetry
- Poetry and Drama
- Poetry and Religion
8. On Poetry and Poets (1957):
- The Music of Poetry
- The Social Function of Poetry
- The Possibility of a Poetic Drama
- The Frontiers of Criticism
T.S. Eliot was associated with several schools, journals, and magazines throughout his career, reflecting his diverse interests and engagements in literary and cultural circles. Here are some of the notable associations:
Schools and Institutions:
1. Harvard University:
- Eliot studied at Harvard, where he completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees.
2. Merton College, Oxford:
- Eliot studied philosophy at Merton College as a graduate student.
3. Berkley Divinity School:
- Eliot attended this school, but did not complete his studies there.
Journals and Magazines:
1. The Egoist:
- A literary magazine where Eliot served as an assistant editor from 1917 to 1919. It published some of his early poems.
2. Criterion:
- A literary journal founded and edited by Eliot from 1922 to 1939.
- Criterion was known for its promotion of modernist literature and cultural criticism.
3. The Dial:
- An influential literary magazine in the United States where Eliot served as an editor from 1920 to 1929.
- The Dial published some of Eliot's critical essays and poetry.
4. The Criterion Quarterly:
- A continuation of Criterion as a quarterly publication from 1939 to 1941.
5. The New English Weekly:
- A progressive political and cultural magazine where Eliot contributed essays and reviews in the 1930s.
6. The Sewanee Review:
- A literary journal where Eliot served as an advisory editor.
7. The Kenyon Review:
- A literary magazine founded in 1939 where Eliot contributed essays and reviews.
Other Associations:
- London Mercury: Eliot was associated with this literary magazine.
- American Academy of Arts and Letters: Eliot was elected as a member in 1948.
These associations highlight Eliot's significant influence and engagement in literary and cultural circles both in the United States and in Europe. His roles as an editor, contributor, and advisor contributed to the dissemination of modernist literature and the development of cultural discourse in the early to mid-20th century.
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