The Waste Land and Other Poems (Broadview Anthology of British Literature)

This volume brings together the full contents of Prufrock and Other Observations (1917), Poems (1920), and The Waste Land (1922), and also includes a variety of background and contextual materials. This convenient stand-alone volume features the introductory material, annotations, and supplementary material from the multi-volume Broadview Anthology of British Literature, acclaimed as "the new standard" for anthologies in the field. Appendices include a wide range of literary and cultural documents pertaining to modernism: writings by Ezra Pound, H.D., and Mina Loy; reviews of The Waste Land; art by Wyndham Lewis; and excerpts from essays by Virginia Woolf, I.A. Richards, and several others. This is one of several Broadview Anthology of British Literature Editions being released this year; those wishing to teach the text will have the option of including the convenient stand-alone book as part of a specially-priced shrink-wrapped package together with a volume of the anthology

After sitting through T.S. Eliot's reading of "The Waste Land," listeners may be inclined to hang up the earphones for a spell. There are no flaws to Eliot's steady-toned interpretation; in fact, his delivery is quite remarkable in its ability to match the poem's constant, somber mood. It's just that 25-plus minutes of Eliot's desolate landscapes--rendered even more real by the author's incessant tones--can wear on the emotions.

In addition to the full-length version of "The Waste Land," this recording includes Eliot's stirring narration of "The Hollow Men," "Sweeney Among the Nightingales," and "Macavity the Mystery Cat." Listen to Eliot read from "The Waste Land." Visit our audio help page for more information. (Running time: 47 minutes, 1 cassette) --Rob McDonald