Assignment Paper-106-The Twentieth Century Literature: 1900 to WW2

This blog is an assingment of paper-106 

Personal Information:

        Nmae: Devangini Vyas 

        Batch: M.A. sem 2 (2024-26)

         E-mail address: devangivyas167@gmail.com

         Roll number: 3

Assingment Details:

Topic: Myth and Modernity: The Use of Mythical Technique in The Waste Land

Paper : Paper 106- The Twentieth Century Literature:1900-WW2

Submitted to- SMT.S.B. Gardi Department of English,Bhavnagar

Date of Submission: 17 April,2025

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Mythical Method: Context and Origins

The Waste Land and the Fisher King

Tiresias and the Collapsing Boundaries of Time

Eastern and Western Mythologies: A Synthesis

Myth as a Critique of Modern Life

Conclusion

                Myth and Modernity: The Use of Mythical Technique in The Waste Land

Introduction

T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (1922) is not merely a poem—it is a cultural map of post-war disillusionment. Amid the ruins of faith, tradition, and stability, Eliot turns to myth as both a refuge and a lens. Through what he called the “mythical method,” Eliot doesn’t just narrate a fragmented modern world—he anchors it to enduring symbols and stories. By doing so, The Waste Land becomes a meeting point of modernity and antiquity, where the timeless narratives of myth illuminate the spiritual emptiness of the twentieth century.

The Mythical Method: Context and Origins

Eliot credits James Joyce for inspiring the mythical technique, writing in The Dial (1923):

“Instead of narrative method, we may now use the mythical method. It is a step toward making the modern world possible for art.”

(“Ulysses, Order, and Myth”)

This approach overlays ancient myths onto modern settings, creating parallels that lend structure and coherence to fragmented modern experiences. It is particularly suited to the modernist project, which often grapples with alienation, chaos, and the collapse of meaning.

The Waste Land and the Fisher King

Central to Eliot’s poem is the Fisher King myth, rooted in Arthurian legend. The Fisher King is wounded, and his kingdom becomes barren—a metaphor for both environmental and spiritual drought. In The Waste Land, modern London is portrayed as a “wasteland” devoid of vitality and purpose. The speaker observes:

“Here is no water but only rock

Rock and no water and the sandy road…”

This symbolic landscape reflects a civilization that has lost its spiritual compass, and the allusion to the Grail quest implies that redemption is possible—but only through introspection and sacrifice.

Tiresias and the Collapsing Boundaries of Time

Another mythical figure in the poem is Tiresias, the blind Theban prophet. Eliot notes in his own commentary that Tiresias is “the most important personage in the poem, uniting all the rest.” Tiresias, who has lived as both man and woman, serves as a timeless observer, embodying both ancient wisdom and modern despair.

“I Tiresias, though blind, throbbing between two lives,

Old man with wrinkled dugs…”

Tiresias bridges past and present, male and female, myth and reality—emphasizing Eliot’s vision of history as cyclical and interconnected.

Eastern and Western Mythologies: A Synthesis

Eliot doesn’t confine himself to Western myths. He integrates Hindu philosophy, especially from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. In the final section, “What the Thunder Said,” the thunder utters:

“Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.”

Translated as “Give. Sympathize. Control.”, these Sanskrit words suggest a path to spiritual renewal. Eliot’s inclusion of Eastern thought underscores the universality of myth as a tool for human understanding and transcendence.

Myth as a Critique of Modern Life

Eliot uses myth not to glorify the past, but to critique the spiritual bankruptcy of modern existence. The mythical figures and legends highlight what modernity has lost: cohesion, belief, and shared cultural purpose. The irony is clear—while myths offered guidance and sacred narratives, modern man is “distracted from distraction by distraction.”

By overlaying myth on modern life, Eliot reveals the absurdity and shallowness of the present, while hinting that salvation might lie in reconnecting with deeper truths.

Conclusion

The Waste Land remains a cornerstone of modernist poetry precisely because of its use of myth. Eliot’s mythical method is not escapism—it’s confrontation. It allows the poet to interpret the disjointed modern world through the timeless lens of symbolic stories. In doing so, Eliot bridges the ancient and the contemporary, the sacred and the profane, the past and the possible. The mythic framework transforms chaos into a kind of order, suggesting that even in a wasteland, the seeds of renewal might still exist.

References:

Eliot, T.S. "Ulysses, Order, and Myth." The Dial, 1923.

Eliot, T.S. The Waste Land. 1922.

Danis, Amanda. "The World of Eliot's Waste Land." Boston University Writing Program, Issue 4. Link

Vora, Jhanvi Kunal. "Myth and Allusions in 'The Waste Land'." IEASRJ. 

"Mythical Method in T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land." Univerzita Karlova. 

"Reality and Mythology, Convention and Novelty in T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land." Academy Publication.