T. S. Eliot is one of my absolute favorite poets. I fell quite in love with his words this summer reading a collection of his poems (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is my favorite of these), which I took with me almost everywhere. I read his poems aloud at twilight sitting by a certain deserted pond. I snatched bits of them between classes. I pondered and puzzled over them before bed by candlelight. I propped up the book and read them while I did dishes, talked on the phone, baked cakes, etc. Yup. I definitely have a literary crush. Sigh. Anyhow, here are some of my favorite quotes (in no particular order) by this wonderful man.
1. “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.”
(The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock)
Ok, let’s be real, when it comes down to it, having that morning drink (coffee or tea) can really make or break your day. I mean, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and breakfast without hot drinks would be very sad. Who doesn’t measure out their lifespan with coffee spoons? But, seriously, it’s really the little things, the mundane, the ordinary things that our lives are composed of. So don’t ignore these things. Don’t waste these gifts.
2. “I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker/And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker/And in short, I was afraid.”
(The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock)
We’re all indecisive at times, and, as Mr. Eliot points out, it’s often because of fear. Almost every negative emotion (jealousy, anger, loneliness, worthlessness, etc.) stems out of some kind of fear. The kind of fear explored in this poem is the fear of the unknown. The speaker of the poem is stuck at a crossroads because he doesn’t know what decision to make. But it’s ok (even healthy) to admit that you don’t know, that you are afraid that you aren’t going to leave your mark on the world, that you’ll make the wrong decision.
3. “So the darkness shall be the light and the stillness the dancing.”
(The Four Quartets)
Sometimes it is in the darkness, only when we are in our most humble and primal forms, that we can find the light. Sometimes we must be brought low in order to be raised up. Sometimes we need to be made stronger, but we don’t want to work out. We don’t want to go outside of our comfort zones, so God has to push us out of the nest. And sometimes we need to be still and silent in order to feel the trueness of a moment. Sometimes we need to rest to find the joy.
4. “The purpose of literature is to turn blood into ink.”
Literature, if a piece of writing deserves such a title, is a living, breathing thing. True literature comes from the soul. Straight from the heart, as every book-lover knows. It tugs at a reader’s emotions. Who hasn’t gotten attached to a favorite book character and laughed and cried right along with them?
5. “And I will show you something different from either/Your shadow at morning striding behind you/Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;/I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”
(The Wasteland)
I really love the allusion to the creation of man here. In the Christian creation story, God made man from dust and here, I believe, Eliot points out how amazing it is that we have emotions, that we even are. We are animated ashes. And what oftentimes animates and motivates us most? Fear. Fear is a powerful thing. It can keep you from doing risky things and can keep you safe, but don’t let it be your master.
