T.S. Eliot 1888 - 1965

His Life Thomas Stearns Eliot was an essayist, publisher, playwright, literary and social critic and "one of the twentieth century's major poets.“ Born in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States, he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 (at age 25) Was naturalized as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.

Eliot had a childhood illness that made it difficult for him to socialize His reclusive life led him to love all types of literature, particularly adventures Growing up in St. Louis also affected his life; there was industry, the Mississippi River, and many other factors of a large city to impact his poetry

Eliot began publishing work in the school literary magazines in school and in college; he attended private academies and Harvard His degree in philosophy led him to read a great deal of unusual material by men who were thinking “new” thoughts about man and his relationship to the world – the beginnings of modernism Eliot earned a scholarship to Oxford in England

After WWI broke out, Eliot remained in England and married Vivienne Haigh-Wood Her poor physical and mental health brought separation between them Eliot continued living in Europe, teaching and working in the publishing industry

Eventually, Eliot took a permanent publishing position in London Eliot genuinely loved living in England; in 1927 he converted to the Anglican faith and became a British citizen Soon after, he separated permanently from his wife; she was living in a sanitarium He remained her husband until her death in 1947

In 1957, at the age of 68, Eliot married Valerie Fletcher, who was 30 After his death in 1965, she worked to maintain his legacy Valerie died in 2012 Eliot had no children from either marriage

His Work Although Eliot is considered a major poet, his body of work is relatively small His poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (1915), is seen as a masterpiece of the Modernist movement He is also known for his seven plays, particularly Murder in the Cathedral (1935) He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948