The Waste Land

I have studied The Waste Land before in a different class, but to be honest, I still didn't really get it when I started studying it again for this class. (And still don't, really). But I do have a new insight into both the content and the inspiration behind parts of it. The religious aspect of it was pretty bewildering after the first couple read-throughs of the poem. It seems as though there is some type of allusion to every damn religion out there. Eliot, what were you thinking?! But after our group study during class, it seems as though to understand certain aspects of this poem (like the religious imagery) it is helpful to sit back and look at the poem as a whole instead of trying to figure out each individual allusion. When we look at it this way, we see a sort of whirlpool where this religion and that religion and all kinds of other religions are being mixed in to create a veritable religion buffet. We can assume then, maybe, that Eliot was confused with his spiritual life and was trying to see what would work better for him. Like choosing an outfit, a person might want to see all the details before trying it on. Eliot may have been toying with the possibility of becoming more religious but couldn't choose which one was right for him. Mashing them all together in The Waste Land sort of sets them all out on one plate and a confused Eliot could then decipher what he really wanted out of life, or a religion, by taking a step back and seeing it all in one place. (Much like the way I had to take a step back and see the poem as a whole).