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Analysis and comments on The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot

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Comment 10 of 40, added on May 24th, 2005 at 9:35 AM.

I think a lot of you guys are missing the epigram at the top of the poem:
"Mistah Kurtz -- he dead." This is a quote from the novel Heart of
Darkness. Eliot wants you to keep this book in mind while reading his poem,
and the book doesn't have anything to do with any World Wars or even
America.

Jeremy from United States
Comment 9 of 40, added on May 22nd, 2005 at 8:14 PM.

this poem reminds my of my huge genitals...amazing

jason from Australia
Comment 8 of 40, added on May 4th, 2005 at 7:59 AM.

I think the poem is depicting how men, especially war veterans, feel when
they have no purpose or meaning in their lives. They feel empty or
"hollow", and they don't want the "eyes" to look at them, or even look back
at them, because it would only reflect the pain and emptiness in their
souls. Just a thought.

Twiggy from United States
Comment 7 of 40, added on May 1st, 2005 at 11:18 AM.

The hollow men was written in 1925 after the World War. Eliot seems to be
using imagery to reflect a post war society. The world at this time was
just recovering from the war and many felt that the death of many was for
nothing, and caused the people to have a sense of liflessness, and lack of
connection between two people. This is clearly what Eliot is trying to
depict.

Simone from United States
Comment 6 of 40, added on April 18th, 2005 at 3:07 PM.

This is the situation to which romanticism in poerty and idealism in
philosophy have brought Eliot.

Mark from United States
Comment 5 of 40, added on February 24th, 2005 at 5:42 PM.

becuse he was American when he wrote this. what happened afterward doesnt
matter. a dead man has no citizenship.

Tohru from United States
Comment 4 of 40, added on November 16th, 2004 at 3:36 PM.

I think you'll find that towards the end of his life Eliot began to
denounce his American citizenship. With this in mind I do not understand
why he is featured so prominantly on this website as an "American Poet."

andrewk from United Kingdom
Comment 3 of 40, added on October 31st, 2004 at 6:53 PM.

The poem makes a person think too quickly of insanity, but, I think, when
you look, or read, more closely, a truly sane person is revealed in the
midst of insanity. It is as if this person, the poem's protagonist, has
seen through the fog of human nature and transcended to a level beyond,
where he/she looks back at us and see how screwed up we still are.

Tim from United States
Comment 2 of 40, added on October 16th, 2004 at 4:21 AM.

it'a a difficult poem but the reference to the Grail myth clarifies it a
bit. I like the final part where quotations, phrases, songs and visions
are added one to the next without apparent cohesion. How could a poet who
wanted to show the fragmentation od thwe modern world write a well written
poem?
There's more. Eliot says " these fragments I have shored against my ruins"
isn't it clear? Carla from Italy

carla from Italy
Comment 1 of 40, added on October 6th, 2004 at 8:06 PM.

This is one of my favorite poems of all times. I fell in love with it when
my highschool teacher read it to us in class. I'm surprised there are no
comments on this yet.

Melissa L from United States

This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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Information about The Hollow Men

Poet: T.S. Eliot
Poem: The Hollow Men
Volume: The Hollow Men
Year: 1925
Added: Feb 20 2003
Viewed: 51025 times


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