The brain/ human trying to make sense of his life before it's too late. Forced to take stock of their lives and realize they are living in a cycle of "waste".

You're going to leave behind a trace of existence, but at the end of the day, you're going to die like everyone else. This can be seen as a form of exile because no matter what, death is always following to take you away.

People are left to wander in spiritual darkness. Not sure what's supposed to come next.

The brain/human trying to make sense of his life before it's too late. This is the time when people decide to take stock of their lives and really take account of themselves. Death is a great motivator!

The "magic" is now gone from a "magical" place that once inspired poets to write about love and beauty- now it's empty and becoming polluted.

Refers to someone who is uneducated. Already, Eliot has referred to "Classic Literature" that most people in today's modern society aren't aware of. This is his way of mocking those people.

April is a time of rebirth, good for people with loved ones, but can be a lonely time for people who are alone. Winter seems like a better time of year because you can numb your emotions. And take joy in small doses (dried tubers).

The word as to the poem. The poem is very quick and to the point, and with the begging, it sounds even more desperate. It's like there is something he really wants to say, but he isn't sure if he should

When saying "Push sea" out loud, it sounds like "pushie". Maybe this has to do with pressure?

Who is philip? Does he have anything to do with Emily? Is he not as important because his name isn't capitalized.

A reminder of when they were younger. Sort of feels like a nostalgic word, especially when used as "when I was younger". Has a feeling of going back before their present age. A feeling of the good times.

In three instances he put past tense words in all capital letters. I wonder if he is trying to emphasize the past. What effect does this have on the poem?

This is implying that there is a fine line between good and evil. Sometimes, in the middle, they can blur into each other. This makes it hard to know whether the good is the most honest thing or being evil is.

Superior race setting the bar low for Negroes- making them believe they are worthless, not even worth being seen as a whole person.

The Emancipation freed Negroes from Slavery, but not from discrimination. No one will ever be free of discrimination because it's embedded into our society. We have been brought up in a world that uses discrimination as self-defense. So even though the Negroes are 'free', they will still be feared and looked down upon.

Identity crisis. Discrimination can cause this where someone feels like they have to be one or the other, but never both at the same time. Always aware of who he is, but only seen as half of himself because he is a Negro.

Rhetorical question. A lot of people ask this question at some point in their lives, but never actually get an answer. This question could help direct the readers to take a closer look at the text because of being able to relate to it on some level.

Love this phrase! As if being silent was almost like protesting, or being above the 'white man'.

Believed that if he could prove himself worthy, he would be accepted as he is- regardless of skin color.

Dancing around the question to sound considerate- avoiding an awkward or touchy topic so as not to seem rude.

Comparing the heart to the sea-vastness, longing.

Sounds like mourning.

I don't believe it matters how many times we try to change the education system (k-12 started the common core program) Ignorance will always linger- not everyone will learn things that are useful to them, but it has to be taught. It's frustrating, but it's the work that has to be done.

People are becoming more interested in knowing everything than taking the time to understand and love one thing. I mostly see this in my generation (Millennials) where, yes education is really important, but that's it. They aren't trying to learn how to empathize with people- only know more than others.

Reminds me of being in high school and taking college courses at the same time. Felt like some of of my high school classes were more useful, and vise versa at other times.

The effects of one generation on the next, his fight against oppression will free his kids from the same struggles his generation had- his children will inherit the world he leaves behind for better or for worse.

This idea of oppression- eventually after being obedient and following those superior to him, he (his generation) will rise against and fight back.

This idea of "Out of" can be interpreted as either running out of materialistic things, or a consequence conceived from the idea. (i.e. "out of burlap sacks" which can mean he is beginning to run out of 'material' compared to "out of buried aunties" which can mean the consequence of death and how it has affected him and his generation)