Thomas Stearns Eliot is “one of the twentieth century’s major poets,” and deserves recognition as such (Garraty and Carnes 23). As a modernist poet, Eliot utilized his style to write about World War One. This period is notable for the disintegration of Europe’s social order and the destruction of European cities. In addition to this, Eliot is also known to write about the downsides of aging. As a matter of fact, Eliot used his modernist style to highlight the dismal reality of World War One and growing old without having lived life.
Eliot’s modernist style stems from his rejection of romanticism and embrace of classicism. On the one hand, Modernism is characterized by “modern problems–the war, industrialization, abortion, urban life” (Lewis 139). On the other hand, Romanticism is very much about “an appreciation of external nature” (“Romanticism” 1a). With Modernism centering around urban themes, and Romanticism centering around nature, it is quite clear to see how the two would clash. For example, Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” could be seen as a way for Eliot to fabricate “a deliberate anti-image of…neo-Romantic efforts”(Canary 297). In the poem, references to “hotels” and “yellow fog” sets the scene for a city, which clearly reinforces modernist themes of urbanism (Eliot 3). Eliot further rejects Romanticism through his usage of satire. Further analysis of “The Love Song of…
