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T.S. Eliot

Four Quartets

"Four Quartets" is a collection of four interconnected poems by T.S. Eliot, published between 1935 and 1942. The poems are titled "Burnt Norton," "East Coker," "The Dry Salvages," and "Little Gidding," and each one explores a different aspect of time and timelessness, drawing on themes of history, memory, and spirituality. The first poem, "Burnt Norton," reflects on the nature of time and the human experience of it, using the imagery of a garden to explore the relationship between the past, present, and future. The second poem, "East Coker," delves into the themes of memory and tradition, drawing on the history of Eliot's ancestral home in England to explore the idea of continuity and change. The third poem, "The Dry Salvages," turns to the natural world and the sea as a metaphor for the flow of time, exploring the idea of human connection to the larger world and the search for meaning in the face of uncertainty. The final poem, "Little Gidding," reflects on the idea of sacrifice and redemption, drawing on the history of a small English village where a group of Protestant martyrs were burned at the stake during the English Civil War. Throughout the collection, Eliot uses a complex and allusive style, drawing on a wide range of literary, philosophical, and religious sources to create a rich and multilayered text. The poems are characterized by their use of imagery, rhythm, and sound to create a sense of unity and coherence, despite their diverse themes and subject matter. "Four Quartets" is widely regarded as one of Eliot's greatest works, and a seminal text in the modernist tradition. It is a deeply philosophical and spiritual work that invites readers to reflect on the nature of time, history, and human experience, and to consider the possibilities of transcendence and redemption in the face of suffering and loss...