Whispers of Immortality - A poem by T.S. Eliot

T.S. Eliot - Whispers of Immortality

WEBSTER was much possessed by death
And saw the skull beneath the skin;
And breastless creatures under ground
Leaned backward with a lipless grin.

Daffodil bulbs instead of balls
Stared from the sockets of the eyes!
He knew that thought clings round dead limbs
Tightening its lusts and luxuries.

Donne, I suppose, was such another
Who found no substitute for sense,
To seize and clutch and penetrate;
Expert beyond experience,

He knew the anguish of the marrow
The ague of the skeleton;
No contact possible to flesh
Allayed the fever of the bone.
.    .    .    .    .
Grishkin is nice: her Russian eye
Is underlined for emphasis;
Uncorseted, her friendly bust
Gives promise of pneumatic bliss.

The couched Brazilian jaguar
Compels the scampering marmoset
With subtle effluence of cat;
Grishkin has a maisonette;

The sleek Brazilian jaguar
Does not in its arboreal gloom
Distil so rank a feline smell
As Grishkin in a drawing-room.

And even the Abstract Entities
Circumambulate her charm;
But our lot crawls between dry ribs
To keep our metaphysics warm.

Added: on October 15th, 2007 at 12:34 PM | Viewed: 12584 times | Comments and analysis of Whispers of Immortality by T.S. Eliot Comments (9)

Whispers of Immortality - Comments and Information
Poet: T.S. Eliot (T.S. Eliot Art) Poem: 10. Whispers of Immortality Volume: Poems Year: Published/Written in 1920 Comment 9 of 9, added on February 5th, 2009 at 7:53 PM. It is comparing the philosophical/poetic approach of finding meaning in life to Grishkin's approach of finding it through sex and how in the end they are both futile. Donne & Webster are poets and the title of this poem also alludes to the work of another poet. Cat from United States Comment 8 of 9, added on April 3rd, 2008 at 10:33 PM. I like how the poem is put together how he talks about death or hell but i didnt like the way he ended it with the jaguar that made no cense. But other then that it was an awsome poem. Mickey from United States Comment 7 of 9, added on October 15th, 2007 at 12:34 PM. A fever of sexual repression and self-loathing dressed up as cultural commentary. Guaranteed to appeal to adolescents, and catchy to boot. Grishkin from Ireland More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Whispers of Immortality, has received 9 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by T.S. Eliot with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: T.S. Eliot Poem: 10. Whispers of Immortality Volume: Poems Year: Published/Written in 1920 Last read: Nov 20 2009, 10:40PM Viewed 12584 times. Added on October 15th, 2007 at 12:34 PM.

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