|
1 2 [3] 4
Comment 20 of 40, added on November 13th, 2005 at 2:37 PM.
I believe that the siginificance of the first line of the Lord's prayer are
the hollow men trying to ask God for forgiveness. They keep trying to pray
to him but are unable to get past the first line because they dont actually
believe in what they are saying.
John from United States
Comment 19 of 40, added on October 24th, 2005 at 2:41 PM.
As always the a poem can be analysed anyway, but i also feel that this poem
has a Post Trench War feel. The hollow men are those ravaged by the
horrors, but have survived. They wander the carnage dazed and horrified.
They too should have died. There are much references to "Deaths other
kingdom", and they feel that they are in some horrible purgatory after the
neverending war. The second half of the poem deals with thoughts on
religion and spirtualsim; after all, how can there be a god if he allows
such destruction? They try to remember the Lords prayer, but only get so
far as "For thine is the Kingdom", and the fact that they can never get to
the second part "The power and the glory" shows they feel there is no God
and beleive in nothing. And this is how the world ends, not with a bang
from the war, but the desolation and the lack of spiritualism (theyre
hollow now, if you will). I like to think. Its a powerful reminder on war
that all governments should recall before going to war. Hint hint.
Lee from United Kingdom
Comment 18 of 40, added on October 13th, 2005 at 6:11 PM.
This poem also deals a bit with disillusionment after WWI. Eliot's line at
the end of section 2, "behaving as the wind behaves", can be connected with
the world's belief that great things would happen after the war and in
reality the post-war era included nothing but sadness. you can hear the
wind, but you can't see it
Brandon from United States
Comment 17 of 40, added on October 3rd, 2005 at 12:00 PM.
to SN -
The Shadow falls between the idea/reality, motion/act, not ambiguously
amoung these concepts. The idea is what is worshipped, the concept thrown
out. The motion is worshipped, the act carelessly discarded. The fifth
section, at least, is a direct reference to religion (for thine is the
kingdom, etc.), and what he is trying to tell us about religion is that it
is focusing in the wrong places (the shadow). The poem makes absolutely
direct connections to religion, and whether or not there are other things
in it about war or sexuality, the religious references are there. Also, no
one yet has commented on the fact that the world ends in a whimper. If it
was referencing war, the world would end in a bang. The world ends in a
whimper because of these peoples screwed up beliefs and lack of testicles.
They choose to not pursue their own religious beliefs, so they wind up
following other hollow men into nothingness.
Kid from United States
Comment 16 of 40, added on August 25th, 2005 at 2:52 AM.
I have been rather depressed by the Mr. Neilsen comment concerning "sexual
context" in the poem. Well, it certainly is freudian-like but apart from
agreeing with the comment about reading Konrad's novel, I'd also like to
add that from my point of view the poem also has to do with Dante's
Inferno, since these are not "lost violent souls" but "the hollow men, the
stuffed men", though, naturally, Dante is not enough to be able to
appreciate Eliot's poetry properly. As for "freudian" comments, I think
that they merely simplify things, thus leaving interpreters no chance to
really understand poetry or anything else. The comment in question shows
quite explicitly how a philosophical masterpiece may be spoiled by a
careless reader.
Samuel from Russia
Comment 15 of 40, added on August 21st, 2005 at 7:48 AM.
Most all of you are truly missing the point. The true concepts of these
poem cannot be percieved without reading Joseph Conrads, "Heart of
Darkness". This poem is an allusion to this book in every way. The Hollow
Men is refering to all men in the world who live their lives with no
purpose except to pursue money and waste their lives. These are the Hollow
Men, on their trip to the after life, finally realizing where they went
wrong; but it is already too late. Although this poem an apply to all men,
Eliot probably was refering to the main characters of Heart of Darkness,
such as Marlow.
Kyle Christopherson from United States
Comment 14 of 40, added on August 17th, 2005 at 10:35 PM.
Although, I dare not guess what Eliot was thinking, as I try to see meaning
in this work, I see someone talking about the desparity of waking up on the
wrong side of the afterlife. Notice, how death's other Kingdom is
capitalized, while when speaking of the kingdom he finds himself in, there
is no capitalization. The constant use of the word "death" seems to suggest
we are in afterlife discussion here. :-)
M. Kline from United States
Comment 13 of 40, added on July 15th, 2005 at 6:34 AM.
The poem shows Eliots personal struggle with the concept of love in a
sexual context. The shadow about which he speaks is his shame, he cannot
love in a sexual way as he sees sex as an idea, reality motion and act,
conception, creation, desire and spasm, potency, essence and descent.
Whether he was impotent, premature or celibate or just scared is neither
apparent or of any consequence, it is his reading of the act that ties this
poem together and makes it so powerfull.
SN
Stephen Neilsen from Australia
Comment 12 of 40, added on June 9th, 2005 at 11:42 AM.
Throughout this poem, I find a sense of helplessness and insecurity.
Everything seems to be a mystery not only for the reader but also for the
protagonist as well. Yet through the hoplessness, there is a sense that
there is more to life than just fragments of what was left behind. There's
more to live for!
Erin from United States
Comment 11 of 40, added on May 31st, 2005 at 1:27 PM.
I love that show!
john from Barbados
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
1 2 [3] 4
|
I believe that the siginificance of the first line of the Lord's prayer are
the hollow men trying to ask God for forgiveness. They keep trying to pray
to him but are unable to get past the first line because they dont actually
believe in what they are saying.
John from United States