Thursday, February 29, 2024

Poetry NEA Coursework - The Four Quartets through a Marxist lens

This is my poetry coursework I recently completed for English Lit A Level. I had to pick my own poetry anthology/work to analyse, using one of the types of literary criticism specified by the exam board. I chose T.S. Eliot and his Four Quartets, focusing on a Marxist/Eco-Critical reading of the second section - East Coker. It was marked at 25/25.


‘’In East Coker, Eliot’s primary concern is the critique of capitalism’’. To what extent do you agree?
 

 

Rolfe Humphries once described T.S. Eliot as a major poet in an age of break up, one who is widely celebrated for his profound reflections on the human condition and society.1 These themes are present throughout Eliot’s work, but none so much as the title which earned him a Nobel Prize for literature – his ‘Four Quartets. Here, Eliot’s verse highlights the fundamental elements of our existence and how they interlink with the “break up” of wider society. Eliot’s main concern then could be the “disturbance of the spring”2 and other forms of environmental degradation which is highlighted across the poem. Or alternatively, perhaps his primary concern is the critique of capitalism and the “empty desolation”3 that it causes. We can pick out recurring motifs of alienation and urban decay throughout, all linked together by a deteriorating landscape that is both absurd and surreal. Perhaps then, Eliot presents capitalism as bringing the world into “that destructive fire”4 which furthers humanity into inequality, while promoting a shift in societal conditions and class hierarchy. 

 

The Four Quartets is an introspective work which, when looked at through a Marxist lens, reveals much about Eliot’s social critique. We might first observe the escapist themes in this work and how they relate to wider ideas about self and the human experience. In response to the “rise and fall” of the urban landscape in the exposition, we read of people running to an “open field” and “dancing around the bonfire”5, perhaps in an attempt to escape society in favour of the natural landscape. Through the verb of “dancing”, Eliot crafts these people as joyful and free from the constraints of urban life. Furthermore, we can observe that, from an economic perspective, society is intrinsically linked with the capitalist idea of utility. In classical capitalist economics, the principle of utility is the notion that everything must be useful through monetary value, produced through labour. Marxism suggests that this utility of work causes ‘alienation’ and the deterioration of the human condition, or as Marx himself says: “the alienation of man thus appeared as the fundamental evil of capitalist society”6. Perhaps Eliot chooses to write about escaping society in order to promote a more natural lifestyle, away from the ‘alienation’ of capitalist urban life. 

 

In addition, we could link the setting of an “open field” to a place for new beginnings, and a clean slate for societal development. The connotations of the noun “field” could include idealism and purity, as the open field in the narrative is one surrounded by the natural landscape. Perhaps Eliot chooses to set the figures as escaping to an “open field” in order to promote a restructuring of society as we know it, towards one which refuses to participate in capitalist fundamentals. Of course, Marx would respond that this does not go far enough, and advocate for a worker's revolution, one which puts the needs of the people at the forefront. It is clear then that Eliot, while clearly criticising capitalism in this portion of the text, fails to advocate for a true “break up” of society through violent resistance.  

 

Despite this, Eliot’s verse does contain revolutionary elements, highlighted through the “dark dark dark7 force that engulfs existence during the third section of East Coker. “The captains, merchant bankers, eminent men of letters” are among some in the extensive list of societal figures on whom the curtain is closed. Here then, Eliot cleverly uses connected asyndeta to make the list sound endless and forceful, one which drives through the heart of society and creates radical change. Furthermore, the repetition of “dark” creates a rhythmic, chant-like beat at the start of the section, perhaps inviting the reader to consider the force and its importance. As the poem progresses, elements become more surreal in nature, shown through the narrator's monologue and his assertion that “the mind is conscious but conscious of nothing-“. This paradoxical statement features seemingly juxtaposing ideas, which is a clear conversation of the absurdist genre of literature. This lexical choice is important from a Marxist viewpoint as the fragmented nature of the absurdist genre could be seen as response to the inherent divisions present in capitalist society. Is Eliot aware of his own social consciousness, however? Some may argue that Eliot does not deliberately criticise capitalist social structures, but rather writes from the perspective of an exploited worker, one who is unaware of exactly what they are revealing. This argument could be criticised however, when considering the explicitness of Eliot’s inclusions and how they relate to class, for example the “bankers” or “statesmen” mentioned. With this in mind, perhaps Eliot chooses to target the “dark” force in East Coker towards those with high roles in society in an attempt to excoriate current class hierarchy under capitalism, and promote a radical change in structure. 

 

Alternatively, some may argue that Eliot’s primary concern throughout the Four Quartets is not the critique of capitalism but instead the environment, and how human actions cause large damage and degradation to the earth we inhabit. Dr Anupama Verma said of Eliot that “the Four Quartets demonstrate a clear development in Eliot’s environmental consciousness”8. This can perhaps be seen through the “disturbance of the spring” and what follows in East Coker’s second part. The opening to this section is framed as a long rhetorical question and contains elements of natural division and conflict, seen when the “Scorpion fights against the Sun, until the Sun and Moon go down”9. Perhaps Eliot uses violent imagery through “fights” to present the natural world as disintegrating, to the point where natural forces are reversed and destroyed. Here then, we read of cosmic forces such as the moon and sun as becoming obsolete, forever changing the natural world and universe. The almost hyperbolic nature of Eliot’s environmental consciousness is clear here. Perhaps he uses hyperbole in order to shift focus to the environment's crucial nature for our existence, and how we must do everything we can to protect it. From a Marxist perspective, Eliot’s concern for the environment is indeed an admirable cause: environmental philosophies and Marxism are commonly fused due to, as some may argue, their common enemy – the capitalist system. An ecological Marxist would agree that Eliot does demonstrate a level of environmental consciousness throughout the poem, however the root cause of the issue must be the capitalist system that allows environmental abuse to flourish. It is the capitalist system, they would argue, that creates alienation of the worker and refuses to cooperate with the natural world in a safe and harmonic way. With this is mind, Eliot may be concerned with the degradation of the earth we inhabit, however his primary focus must be the force that corrupts the working class and the environment into further “destructive fire” - the capitalist system. 

 

Focusing on the end of East Coker, we can clearly see this capitalist critique through Eliot’s final section. Eliot presents to the reader a conclusion that draws upon the themes and discussions we have seen throughout the poem. One such declaration is that “old men ought to be explorers”10, which examines the nature of work in our society and how it can be improved. Typically, under capitalism, the retired population are bound to a small pension which restricts movement and imagination, increasing alienation and despair. Eliot reverses this social standard by suggesting that they instead should “explore”, which is a much more idealistic and creative vision for the retired worker. Perhaps then, Eliot promotes existence away from capitalist expectations of age and class, to critique the capitalist system as a failure for our population. 

 

Overall, Eliot’s verse throughout the Four Quartets successfully draws focus to the fundamental flaws of capitalism. Eliot’s explorations of time, death, and the human experience can be scrutinised through socioeconomic context, revealing strong critiques of capitalist social structure and class. The Four Quartets, despite being written nearly 80 years ago, remains “eternally present”11 to the struggle of working-class people around the world, and promotes lasting change that would help them unite and break free from the alienating force of capitalist society. Ultimately, only in an ”age of break up” could Eliot convincingly excoriate the capitalist dream, and craft a resounding response for change at the heart of his poetic voice.

Saturday, October 23, 2021

The march to Glasgow...


Last weekend, my family and I decided to pay a visit to the Spanish activists of ''Marcha a Glasgow'': a group of climate protesters walking over 950 km from Portsmouth to the COP26 conference in Glasgow. One of the activists is a family relative, so we decided to visit them on their closest stop to us, Leeds. 

The day started with a drive, the duration of which I spent happily with my mp3 player. The music seemed an appropriate companion to the Yorkshire landscape.
We joked that it would be ironic if our journey to a climate event was halted by the protesters of ''Insulate Britain''.
Alas, we made it in good time and were welcomed with pleasant weather.  

Upon arrival, we met with the activists and their supporters.
They had a large turnout which added to the atmosphere. It was great to see our relative who I mentioned earlier, as we had not met since we stayed with them in Spain. A short amount of time later, the march began. The feeling of unity was aided by the samba band which also attended.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Manchester!

After a fun-packed weekend in Manchester, I have decided once again to unravel my thoughts onto this here blog. I hope you enjoy.

An Unexpected Journey...

We (My brother, grandmother and I) started our trip by getting a train to Manchester via York. It was a very nice journey, apart from the fact that the trains were very busy for a Sunday... Summer holidays I suppose?

At the station.
While on the train, I went over the weekend's events to come. These included:

1. Visit the Manchester Art Gallery and Art Club exhibition.
2. Check in to Premier Inn.
3. Eat dinner at The Beefeater.
4. See the Roman ruins and canal.
5. Visit the Science and Industry museum, including its ''Use Hearing Protection'' exhibition.
6. Travel home.
 
As you can see, the days ahead were looking to be extremely exciting indeed. I enjoyed the rest of the journey with this thought in mind.
 
When we arrived in Manchester, we headed straight to the information desk in search of a map. Although there were none left, the man behind the glass did offer us some expert directions.
With the instructions still fresh in mind, we made our way from Manchester Picadilly to the Art Gallery.
 
Now, a side note: although the rest of the museum was great, it was clouded by the anticipation for the Art Club exhibition.
All through lockdown, our family had watched Grayson Perry's Art Club on Channel 4. As soon as the possibility of an exhibition was mentioned on the show, I had my heart set on going.
With that in mind, you can probably understand why I wanted to see the exhibition more than anything.

 

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Down South! My thoughts...

Recently, my brother and I started a journey that would eventually end in Sussex. It was the first time we had truly been down South in a good while, mainly because of the current pandemic. I enjoyed it immensely and will walk you through some of the highlights:

To Kings Cross (and beyond)!

We started the trip by traveling to London Kings Cross. With pre-booked seats and a saver railcard, the journey was no fuss at all. For the majority of the journey, I read my current book: ''The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'' by Haruki Murakami. So far it's an interesting book about a man who has recently lost his cat, and his wife who hires a psychic to try and locate it; although it is early days, the cat has not yet been found.

When we arrived at KC, I noticed a large construction site to the right of the station.

The construction site can be seen at the top right of this image. All Photos taken by me. 

After doing some research, it seems this large construction site is in fact a new Google HQ being built. Although the idea and scale of this project seem impressive, I wonder how it will survive with the rise of remote working from home.
 
Alas, we crossed the road from Kings Cross to St. Pancras International, aiming to catch a Thameslink service towards Brighton. Before we did though, we noticed the piano in the station was free. I played ''Lady Madonna'', while Zak opted for some Chopin.
We were in a bit of a rush to get to the platform, and when we did, the train was just pulling in. If Zak or I were to have played a few more verses, we may have missed the train.
Still though, we did make it. This particular journey was very quiet and peaceful, and the window view of Greater London was pleasant.