1. Disturbing the Universe HUM 2213: British and American Literature II Spring 2015 Dr. Perdigao February 2, 2015

2. T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) 1888Thomas Stearns Eliot born in St. Louis, Missouri, seventh and youngest child 1898Attends Smith Academy, school founded by grandfather 1905Published poems in Smith Academy Record; enrolled in Milton Academy to prepare for Harvard 1906Attended Harvard 1907Published poems in Harvard Advocate 1909Received A.B. at Harvard—courses in Greek, Latin, German, French and English language and literature, history, Florentine painting, philosophy 1910Composed Class of 1910 Ode, received M.A.; attended lectures at the Sorbonne 1911Returned to Harvard Graduate School for doctorate in philosophy; course in Indic Philology, Sanskrit, and Indian Philosophy. Completed “Prufrock” 1912Appointed Assistant in Philosophy 1914Awarded traveling fellowship to study philosophy for year at Oxford; met Ezra Pound 1915Prufrock and Other Poems 1911-1912 published; took job as teacher at High Wycombe Grammar School 1916Became Junior Master at Highgate Junior School; dissertation accepted 1917Entered Colonial and Foreign Department of Lloyds Bank in the City of London; became Assistant Editor of The Egoist

3. T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) 1919“Tradition and the Individual Talent” published in The Egoist 1921Suffered breakdown, three months leave from Lloyds Bank, completed drafting of The Waste Land 1922The Waste Land published in The Criterion 1925Went into publishing with Faber & Gwyer, published Poems 1909-1925 1927Baptized and confirmed in Church of England; becomes a naturalized British citizen 1932Selected Essays 1917-1932; Charles Eliot Norton Lecturer at Harvard 1936Collected Poems 1909-1935 published 1947Honorary doctorates by Harvard, Yale, and Princeton 1948Awarded Nobel Prize for Literature 1952The Complete Poems and Plays published in the US 1963Collected Poems 1909-1962 1964Awarded US Medal of Freedom 1965Died January 4; ashes later interred in west end of parish church of East Coker

4. Reenvisioning The Waste Land http://www.blork.org/blorkblog/2007/10/20/i-can-has-waste-land/ http://corprew.org/content/lolcat-wasteland/ (full poem)

5. Do I Dare? Disturbing the universe Middle age Question of the meaning of existence, of being Hamlet Dramatic monologue Stasis Creation or destruction Desire or death

6. Fragments and Ruins Urban setting, world of the city Isolation, alienation Fragmentation in style and theme—loss and liberation Crisis of masculinity post World War I Psychological state of the individual, of the larger society and civilization The value and possibilities for poetry, for creation