The document discusses T.S. Eliot's contributions to modernist literature, highlighting his use of literary allusions and the significance of myths in his works, particularly in 'The Waste Land'. It emphasizes the overarching themes of rebirth, spiritual decay, and the complexities of human experience as depicted through various mythological references, such as the Holy Grail and characters like Tiresias. The analysis points out how modern issues are intricately woven into these ancient narratives to convey deeper meanings in contemporary contexts.

1. Paper no:09The Modernist Literature
Prepared by : Kavita. D . Mehta
Semester:3
Enrollment no:2069108420170020
S.M.T S.B Gardi Department of English
Maharaja Krishnkumarsihji Bhavnagar
university

2.  Thomas Steams Eliot (26
September 1888 and 4 January
1965).was a British essayist,
publisher, playwright, literary
and social critic and one of the
twentieth century’s major poets.
 He use literary and cultural
allusions.
 The Waste Land is one of the
most out standing poem of the
20 century
 It has been hailed as Eliot's
masterpiece the supreme
triumph of the poetic art in
modern time.

3.  A myth is a traditional story consisting of
events that are ostensibly historical practice or
natural phenomenon.
 The word “Myth”, which simply means
“story”.
 Myth can means ‘sacred story’, ‘traditional
narrative’ or ‘ tale of the Gods’.

5.  The holy grail is a vessel that
serves as an important motif in
Arthurian literature different
traditions describe it as a cup,
dish or stone with miraculous
powers that provide happiness,
eternal youth or sustenance in
infinite abundance.
 In Christian mythology the cup
used by Jesus during the last
supper.
 Grail was originally connected
with the fertility myth, as it
witnessed by its sexual symbols
cup and the lance symbolizing
the male and female organs
respectively but later on it
suffered a sea change through its
association with Christ.

6.  This myth based on nature,
particularly on the cycle of the
seasons.
 This poem start with spring is
clearly a time of life and
birth,april is cruelest month.
 Winter= Death
 April=Rebirth
 Rain=Life (birth)

7.  Fisher king symbolizes
contempory decay and spiritual
sterility.
 The sick king symbolizes the sick
humanity and this sickness
results, as in the case of the fisher
king from its sexual sins. It has
been degraded to mere ‘animal
copulation’, and this sexual
perversion has led to spiritual
death.

8.  A myth which is closely related with the grail
legend. In this waste land soldiers or king
fisher ravished the nuns of the chapels,
perilous said to contain the Holy Grail, and his
land suffered from feminine.
 The impotency of the Fisher king was reflected
sympathetically in the land of which he was
the head ruler, it has become dry and barren
the haunt and home of want and famine one
day the knight of the pure soul came solve
riddle

9.  Sibyl a woman with prophetic
power who ages but never dies.
 She looks at the future and
proclaims that she only wants to
die.
“I want to die”
 She typifies, the time woven
soul’s desire to escape from the
‘wheel’ of thing.
 Nirvana, Moksha, Salvation

10.  Tiresias, a figure from classical
mythology who has both male
and female features and is blind
but can ‘see’ in to the future.
Tiresias, blind and spiritually
embittered.
 Tiresias represented as a bi-
sexual in the waste land, as he
was blind but he has the gift of
prophecy and immorality.
 Tiresias, blind and spiritually
embittered, old and impotent,
who is the protagonist of the
poem in The waste land,
wandering about in great quest,
stand for modern man in quest
of true spiritual light and viable
moral values.

11.  Phlebas the Phoenician, a
character from The waste land.
 Phlebas is a sailor who dies by
drawing.
 His death represents as a
spiritual death.
 Phlebas is the example of lack
of spirituality, self ego, and
what becomes of those who
waste them selves.

12.  two sister.
 Tereus is a husband of procne
and he seduce Philomela and cut
out her tongue and locks her in a
strongly guarded palace.
 Philomela embroider story in to
cloth and which she sent to her
sister.
 Tereus killed both sister begged
for mercy from the Gods.
 Procne is saved and turned in to
nightingale, Philomela is turned
in to swallow and some day
Tereus was turned into an ugly
bird.

13.  Two lover.
 The story of Tristan and Isolde
is a classical romance about
undying love, jealousy and
grief.
 Tristan is a knight who work
for his uncle, he is a symbol of
honest, virtue , brave, and
strong.
 Isolde healed Tristan and he
return and in front of king
mark he praise so king resolve
to marry her.

14.  T. S. Eliot has shown the significant of myth to
the modern context. Modern complexities of
the human being have been interpreted
successfully by the use of myth in this poem.