Analysis Of T.S. Elliot'S "The Rock"

Analysis of T.S. Elliot's "The Rock"

We were asked to analyze T.S. Elliot's poem "The Rock" based upon these three questions:

1. Where is the Life we have lost in living?

2. Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

3. Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

Very few of Elliot's poems tackled the ideals of technology

as much as this poem. His powerful words and beautiful rhymes schemes made this a wonderful work of literature.

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

It is painfully obvious that Elliot is sickened by the sinful monotony of everyday life and has decidedly painted a dreadfully bleak picture of the human existence. This is noted in lines 3 through

5 where he uses words like 'perpetual' and 'recurrence.' From the numerous capitalizations and mentions of God, We're almost sure that Eliot was a spiritual man and that he was very disappointed in the failing path that humans have chosen. Through determined capitalization leading to implied spirituality, the author contrasted life and living. He thinks that through everyday living, mankind has lost their relationship with God and therefore don't live a Godly Life--hence he asks, "Where is the Life we have lost in living?"

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Knowledge as we know it today seems to mean everything we learn and understand. Wisdom is described as the proper use of knowledge. We think that T.S Eliot meant: people don't believe in what they feel, instead they only want to