"The Burial of the Dead" Annotations
From The Waste Land Wiki
(→Lines 19-30, Biblical Rhetoric) |
(→Lines 19-30, Biblical Rhetoric) |
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::::'''Line 23''' "And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief" | ::::'''Line 23''' "And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief" | ||
| − | ::::'''Ecclesiastes''' 12:5 refers to the time in ones old age, known as the "evil days" when desire fails, and even grasshoppers are a burden. If you think back to the beginning of "The Burial of the Dead" ("mixing memory and desire") | + | ::::'''Ecclesiastes''' 12:5 refers to the time in ones old age, known as the "evil days" when desire fails, and even grasshoppers are a burden. If you think back to the beginning of "The Burial of the Dead" ("mixing memory and desire") |
| + | this is particularly relevant. This chapter of Ecclesiastes also speaks about mourners in the streets, an image familiar to the end of "The Burial of the Dead." Further, the teacher of scripture insists that everything on earth is | ||
| − | ::'''[[Isaiah 2]]''' | + | meaningless, reflecting the general post-war apathy of Europe. |
| − | :::: | + | |
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| + | ::'''[[Isaiah 2]]''' vs. '''[[Isaiah 32]]''' | ||
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| + | ::::Line 25-26 "There is a shadow under this red rock,/ Come in under the shadow of this red rock" | ||
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| + | ::::Is the rock a shelter (Isaiah 2), or a hiding place (Isaiah 32)? Is it a place to hide from the Waste Land, a place of survival, or a place of fear? | ||
===Lines 31-34=== | ===Lines 31-34=== | ||
