Timewaster's Guide Archive

Departments => Books => Topic started by: stacer on June 08, 2006, 09:58:04 PM

Title: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: stacer on June 08, 2006, 09:58:04 PM

What is it that people always quote from one of T.S. Eliot's poems, the one about how we go out that we may see ourselves from a new perspective? Can someone link me to the poem it comes from? I've heard it used in relation to fantasy before, but googling gives me too many results to sort through.

Title: Re: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: Peter Ahlstrom on June 09, 2006, 12:28:33 AM

Anything in here? http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/T._S._Eliot

Title: Re: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: stacer on June 09, 2006, 02:54:49 AM

I went there, but didn't have the brain power at the time to even skim it. It was a long day, mainly looking at submissions, which tends to fry me. I'll look at it tomorrow. I'm almost postive it comes from The Wasteland. I'm pretty much at the "forget it" spot, and I'll look for a different angle to approach it from tomorrow.

Title: Re: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: fuzzyoctopus on June 09, 2006, 04:22:55 AM

Ok, I read over that entry to find the quote for you and be all helpful, and I did not, but dang... I think I've fallen in love with T.S. Eliot.


The lot of man is ceaseless labor,
Or ceaseless idleness, which is still harder,
Or irregular labour, which is not pleasant.
I have trodden the winepress alone, and I know
That it is hard to be really useful, resigning
The things that men count for happiness, seeking
The good deeds that lead to obscurity, accepting
With equal face those that bring ignominy,
The applause of all or the love of none.


Oh, also - you know it's only in the last year I learned that Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Cats" was based on Eliot?

Title: Re: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on June 09, 2006, 09:04:07 AM

Eliot's book was much, much better.

But yeah, Eliot is probably the modernist I respect the most. I loves The Wasteland.

Title: Re: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: Fellfrosch on June 09, 2006, 04:55:32 PM

I love Eliot with a deep passion. I can't give you a direct quote, Stacer, but I'll bet good money the line you're looking for is from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.

Title: Re: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: Archon on June 09, 2006, 05:03:20 PM

"We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
   T. S. Eliot, Little Gidding"

Is that it, Stacer?
http://www.sover.net/~bland/littlegi.htm
If so, there is a link to the poem.

Title: Re: T.S. Eliot quote
Post by: stacer on June 09, 2006, 07:29:05 PM

Aha! Thank you! That's exactly what I was looking for.