This line stood out to me due to its connection with the title "What the Thunder said," and similar connotation to the Gospel of John. This line appears after a somewhat odd repetition of a lack of water within the land. Rather, the speaker is left in a desolate landscape of "only rock." One may think that this baren image would also prompt a stillness of silence in nature. However, Eliot is quick to point out the presence of loud booms of thunder in my highlighted line. In particular, the thunder is "dry and sterile," therefor connecting to the state of the land; the rocky terrain is indeed also dry due to the emphasized absence of water and also sterile as a result. In The Gospel of John (line 29), thunder holds a contrasting purpose. 29] The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Therefore, the voice of God in John is expressed through thunder, showing the great force of divinity over the world. However, Eliot's vivid descriptions of the thunder in his wasteland could not be more different. The thunder is "dry and sterile." and in my opinion, lacks the religious importance evident in John, In connection the title, my reading of this line suggests that Eliot does not believe the thunder is saying anything (What the Thunder Said). Instead, we are trapped in a dry and sterile land mass with no divine connection to guide us out.

The presence of circles/cycles within "Death by Water" stood out to me as a symbol of a universal connection of shared pain and one's ultimate path to death. This section of the poem depicts the body of Phlebas the Phoenician drifting in the ocean two weeks (or a fortnight) after his death. He is taken by the power of nature as seen through the currents control of his limbs, guiding him towards the "whirlpool," (318). The circular motion prompted from this line ultimately connects to the action of "turning the wheel" (320) in the final stanza. The whirlpool and wheel, both round in shape, connect to the circle of life and the passage of time. Everyone, despite how "handsome" or "tall" they are will eventually reach their inescapable culmination in life. Additionally, this is the first time in "Death by Water" where the reader is addressed to as "you," therefore striking a more personal note. Furthermore, the inevitability of the cycles in life is also clear in the preceding line "Gentile or Jew." According to The Oxford Dictionary, a Gentile is a person who it not Jewish. Therefore, by stating "Gentile or Jew" Eliot asserts that anyone, no matter their religion, background, appearance, etc, moves through life in accordance to the circular trajectory. The idea of universal life experiences is evident in Corinthians 10 as well. In fact, it is taken one step further through the connection of bodies/spirits, as seen in the line below: [13] For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit. [14] For the body does not consist of one member but of many. This section highlights a divine connection for baptized individuals. I find this particularly interesting given one is usually baptized towards the beginning of their life. However, Eliot chose to present Phlebas well after his passing. In turn, Eliot could be asserting the power of death and an afterlife--a fitting idea alongside the ongoing decay of The Wasteland.

Through the inclusion of Elizabeth, in conjunction with the decaying description of Thames River, Eliot continues his complex commentary on love in modern society. First, Eliot begins this section of The Fire Sermon with the following lines: "The river sweats Oil and tar" (266-67). The contrast between the verb "to sweat"--a natural process to regulate temperature--and artificial/manmade substances such as "oil" or "tar" highlight the contradictory nature of River Thames. The once pure and sacred area now lies bare: the "nymphs have departed," the bank has lost its sole, and the water runs polluted. Now, Eliot's reference to Queen Elizabeth here ties to similar themes. For instance, she was once celebrated for her virginity. Society at the time was transfixed by her feminine purity, therefore hitting similar notes to the previously discussed trends of the land/river. However, her key connection to River Thames comes from Froude's Queen Elizabeth in her interaction with Leicester at the "water-party", seen through the eyes of De Quadra. He states, "In the afternoon, we were in a barge, watching the games on the river. She was alone with the Lord Robert and myself, on the poop, when they began to talk nonsense, and went so far, that Lorb Robert at l said, as I was on the spot there was no reason why they should not be married, if the queen pleased." Here, Elizabeth and Leicester are openly flirting, even suggesting marriage, with the river as the backdrop. This moment highlights a dramatic social scandal of the time given Leicester's past wife and complex relationship with Elizabeth. Here, it is being put on full display to the public eye. Therefore, Eliot continues to explore complex nature of love (as seen previously with the clerk and the typist) with this citation. Furthermore, as previously discussed, river Thames comes to mimic this decay alongside the thorny state of human relationships at the time through the unnatural pollution imagery.

"'The pleasure love allots to you,' he said, 'is greater than the pleasure given men.' But she contested that. They agreed to let Tiresias decide for he knew love both as woman and a man."

Through the central themes of darkness, sight, and sex, alongside a narration from Tiresias, Eliot offers a gruesome commentary on the depressing state of human connections/interactions. As explained in the quote from the myth of Tiresias, he has lived as both genders. His sex transformation was the outcome of an encounter with two mating snakes. From his experience, he believes that women receive more pleasure from sex than men--"The pleasure love allots to you (speaking to a woman), is greater than the pleasure given men." This statement from Tiresias is particularly interesting with the backdrop of the clerk and typist having unaffectionate sex. The scene is marked through descriptions such as "undesired," "indifference," and "bored and tired." Furthermore, the man acts with little regard to the typist, "assaulting at once," as she hardly cares. This goes against Tiresias's earlier statement of women receiving more sexual pleasure than men. Therefore, his dual perspective offers a complex narration of this deeply sad and mundane human interaction. Additionally, Tiresias's inability to see connects to the wider sense of darkness throughout The Fire Sermon. He is blind but powerful as he can actually see the future. For instance, in Oedipus the King, a tragic Greek myth I read last year, Tiresias is the only one to see the truth behind the identity of the main character. This gives him wisdom and honor. However, here, Eliot's dingy scene and tone on society plague future sight, leaving characters metaphorically and physically in the dark. This comes in harmony with Aiken's commentary on London nights. He states, "I plunge through jostling darkness," and notices that even the cities illumination source is dwindling as "the lighted rooms are bare." Thus, the two authors present similarly depressing scenes on darkness and bare intercourse within the modern world.

This line stood out to me in connection to Edmund Spenser's poem "Prothalamion." Eliot references this piece on numerous occasions through the inclusion of Sweet Thames and the nymphs. He also directly quotes Spenser above as he states, "Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song." However this section stood out to me for the its culminating thought on the barren river bank and the repetition of the nymphs' departure. Eliot comments on the "testimony of summer nights" in connection to the lack of empty bottles, sandwich papers, or handkerchiefs. These objects all suggest a human presence. However, in their absence, Eliot displays Sweet Thames as soulless and bare. This is further emphasized through the repetition of "The nymphs are departed." In Spenser's work, the nymphs initially appear in his beautiful descriptions of the fruitful surrounding land of the river. These god-like creatures in particular show the fertility and vibration of the land as they collect flowers for Elizabeth and Katherine. Therefore, the nymphs serve as a symbol of unity with nature and the beauty of love (seen through the marriages of the two daughters). Eliot's repetition that the nymphs have departed emphasizes a lack of natural purity in the modern world as he instead looks out on a bare river bank. Furthermore, in connection to my group's exploration of grammar concepts, the word choice of "are departed" instead of "have departed" is striking. Eliot's verb choice strengthens the image of moral decay as the nymphs departure defines them and the land.

"The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne..." as mentioned in his notes, is a direct reference to Cleopatra from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. The image evoked through the inclusion of a throne sets a lavish and ornate tone for II.) A Game of Chess. The throne also signifies an purposeful shift from the natural world and decaying land in The Burial of the Dead to artificial human creations. Eliot goes on to reference other lavish decor elements including "jewels", "vials of ivory and coloured glass," and "strange synthetic perfumes." The proceeding lines are jagged and chaotic, similar to the space being described. In contrast, below is a pasted description of Cleopatra's throne from Act 1, scene 2:

The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold; Purple the sails, and so perfumed that The winds were love-sick with them;

Here, her throne is aligned with elements of the natural world including water and wind. Cleopatra's power, represented in part through her throne, is able to captivate forces even as strong as the wind as they're "love-sick." Thus, while Eliot refers to Shakespeare's work in the opening line of A Game of Chess, the surrounding associations to the thrones differ greatly. It is ultimately through this divergence that Eliot comments on the decay of the wasteland as feminine power is reduced to a force against nature.

Note: this is not my primary annotation so I'm not referencing a source, rather commenting on this line as further thought for my post below.

This line stood out for obvious reasons. 1.) it's in all caps and 2.) repeated five times. However, taking a closer look, I was surprised to see no apostrophe in "its". "Its" is a possessive pronoun without a defined gender while "It's" is a shorthand for "it is/has." In my opinion, Eliot's decision to not include an apostrophe greatly changes the meaning of this line. While reading this line with "it" possessing "time" is a little disjointing, I think it is worth considering what Eliot could be referring to as "it." Time goes hand in hand with previously discussed themes such as decay, death, and fertility. Therefore, is there a greater power that owns or possess time that is actually running out of time itself?

This line is a reference to Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Ophelia states/sings "Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good night, good night," in conversation with King Claudius. This appears just before her stage exit and ultimate death by suicide/drowning. The inclusion of "sweet ladies" as a closing image from Ophelia is rather ironic due to her mental state at this point in the play. She has gone mad, evident in her repetitive speech preceding her good night call, specifically in relation to death. She repeats "He is dead and gone," in song, demonstrating a troubled mentality. Furthermore, her commentary on Saint Valentine's day is connected to feminine seduction and lust. She therefore displays the messy combination of trauma, hardship, and feminine desires. Thus, this context does not allude to an image of a "sweet lady," instead displaying the complexity of womenhood. Moving to Eliot's inclusion of this line as the closing thought to II. A Game of Chess, Ophelia's madness is echoed in the pub. This sets up for a similar good night call, signifying a tragic future for the women at the bar. Their time is running out as repeated "Hurry up please its time" and their bodies look "antique." In closing, this borrowed goodnight line from Hamlet furthers Eliot's commentary of women going mad depicted through the chaos of the pub and connection to Ophelia's mental state.

In connection to Aldous Huxley’s Crome Yellow and the story of Hyacinthus and Apollo, gender and spiritual truth are prevalent themes throughout these lines of the Wasteland. First, Eliot goes on to describe Madame Sosotris as “the wisest woman in Europe.” She has a powerful deck of cards that she uses to predict how one will meet their death. However, after reading Huxley’s Crome Yellow, there is more irony in this wisdom or power than at first glance. Huxley presents Mr. Scogan as the coveted “Sesostris–Sorceress of Ecbatana,” and describes him as, “dressed in a black skirt and a red bodice, with a yellow-and-red bandana handkerchief tied round his black wig.” This costume leaves Scogan looking like a “Bohemian Hag.” The proceeding scenes of common people at the fair approaching his tent, hopeful for a viewing into their future, mocks the modern day quest for immediate "truths.” Furthermore, Mr. Scogan dressing as a woman for this fortune teller role questions gender roles and the romanticized view of mystical women. Therefore, his inclusion of Sesostris in The Wasteland highlights the fuzziness of society post WWI as individuals search for personal and collective truths in a convoluted society.

This line stood out to me in harmony with the reading from The Book of Ezekiel, particularly the spirals within spirals of animals. Before this line, Eliot offers a grim scene of "broken images" and a "dead tree" without any of the comforts that we are accustomed to--shetler, calming sounds, and general relief. However, Eliot pushes the scene towards an unexpected shadow under a "red rock" and invites his reader into this new world. Here, he can show us something different from the mundane cycles of light commonly associated with one's personal shadow as they go about their day. Instead, in a way, this shadow reminds me of a higher power as it transcends beyond the physical gloom of Eliot's presented scene. The Book of Ezekiel discusses the presence of a spiral of the faces of four living creatures: a human, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. It is a little disjointing to picture this scene in my mind as there are "wheels in the middle of a wheel" alongside sets of four wings, eyes, hands, etc.This repetition or surplus of animalistic features reminds me again of the innate power in the all mighty. He looks down on all of humankind, providing a similar "shadow" of protection or guidance for his followers. The wheel is dynamic, in motion, and complex. Meanwhile. Eliot's setting is bare and depressing. Thus, this shadow or area of protection highlights the steadfast nature of God's will and intentions for humankind.

The language in the proceeding lines stood out to me as a dull and depressing scene. We have gone from a “Wasteland” to “Dead Land” as the cruel months of spring take over. Why would Eliot choose to describe the spring as “cruel”? As I read for our previous class, the coming of vegetation—often associated the months of spring—is a time of rebirth, ritual, and spiritual growth. However, in these opening lines, none of those emotions are brought into play. Instead, Eliot leaves his reader is a desolate space, therefore highlighting the spiritual bareness of the world in his eyes following WWI. Then, at this line, Eliot moves us away from the “dead land” and into a narrative of a meeting with his friend. They drink coffee, talk for hours, etc, all of which are common daily actions for the general population. This memory reminded me of artistic realism as he presents a mundane scene or nothing out of the ordinary from a realistic day in one’s life. This scene, in conjunction to the cruel spring and dead description of the land stood out to me due to the abrupt shift and connection to the character in Rupert Chawner Brooke’s letter. In regards to that first note, by throwing in this short narrative, Eliot develops a fragmented and non-linear linguistic style; I see parallels between this style and the emotional complexities of society as the come out of WWI. “Now, as then, his mind had been completely divided into two parts: the upper running about aimlessly from one half-relevant thought to another, the lower unconscious half labouring with some profound and unknowable change.” This line from Rupert Chawner Brooke’s letter encapsulates the complexity of consciousness that Eliot strives to achieve in the opening lines of the poem. This idea of an aimless wander between thoughts highlights the fluidity of emotion, especially at a time post tragedy (WWI or the death of the mother). I am interested to see how this two parts progress. Will they move like the “light scurry of waves at full tide” or return home like the deeper waters into one stream of recollection?

From tonight’s sources, I was intrigued by the idea of a “vegetation ceremony” and its prevalence in both the meaning behind Eliot’s title “The Wasteland" and Sir James George Frazer’s interconnection of humans and nature in "The Golden Bough–A Study in Magic and Religion.” First off, what is a vegetation ceremony? Frazer goes into great depth on different forms of ceremonies or rituals performed as humans harmonize with the many facets of nature–animals, vegetation, seasonal changes, etc. He states, “They performed ceremonies and recited spells to make the rain to fall, the sun to shine, animals to multiply, and the fruits of the earth to grow,” (3) as context for early illusioned thought on the importance of rituals on the essential processes of Mother Nature. He goes on to discuss a "mightier power,” (or god) and his influence on nature, therefore illustrating the forces that are truly behind the vital cycles of the world–life, death, etc. In particular, I found the myth of Attis a curious tale of the power of nature. Attis is a Phrygian god of vegetation and fertility. It is believed that his mother conceived him after placing a pomegranate or almond in her bosom, a peculiar thought celebrating feminine autonomy and strength in the cycle of reproduction. Attis’s death is what intrigued me the most as there is no clear cookie cutter answer. Instead, some believe he was killed by a boar while others think he was self-castrated and bled out under a pine tree. His death is celebrated through ritual each spring in order to ensure the renewal of life and crops. This stuck with me as Attis’s death does not simply follow the “circle of life.” Instead, he is taken from this earth at a young age in a violent manner–possibilty self inflicted or from an animal. Therefore, his life is cut off (literally and figuratively) before his fulfillment has peaked, marking a strict divergence in the natural and beautiful cycle of fertility. In connection to Eliot’s title choice of The Wasteland, these same divergences from natural and intentional routines appear. Cultivation or growth, firstly, is cut off as the land is bare and sterile, highlighting the same loss of fertility seen through Attis’s story. Yet just as ceremonies performed in honor of Attis have the potential to reunite the land with growth and prosperity, Eliot’s opening title image has the same innate ability. In order to do so however, it is evident that a change must be made through a vegetation ceremony or sacrifice to restore the land’s fertility.