Is Eliot a Religious Poet?

T. S. Eliot in his treatment of the central theme of The Waste Land, may be regarded as a defender of the moral imagination, with roots in religious insight and in the continuity of civilization

Eliot a Religious Poet:

In the poem we find the references of the waste lands of Fisher King, King Oedipus, and of Biblical waste land. Because of sensuality and

sinfulness, the kingdom of Fisher King suffered from drought and famine. To get rid of this problem, Fisher King hoped that one day a knight would go to the Chapel Perilous. King Oedipus unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. For this sex-crime, his land suffered from epidemic and famine. Then he was advised to offer penance for his inner purification. It is mentioned in the Bible that the land of Ammaus became barren and dry on account of the idolatry of the dwellers. Prophet Ezekiel told them to worship God and to give up idolatry so that The Waste Land may become fertile.

The modern waste-landers are spiritually dead. Eliot describes their means of spiritual rebirth through the reference to an event ancient Indian history. When India passed through a great crisis, drought and famine compelled people to pray to God for divine help, God spoke to them in thunder and uttered Da Da Da for spiritual rebirth.

The first Da is Datta which means "to give". That means surrender - yielding to something outside one's self. If sexual union is to be fertile, there must occur surrender of self in some degree, momentary self-effacement in another. Lust, too true, may produce progeny, but those are the bats with baby faces. Larger even than procreation, giving or surrender means the subordination of the self to an authority long derided and neglected.

The second Da is Dayadhvam; it means "to sympathize". We must sympathize with our fellowmen. We must give up our ego and isolation and work for the good of community. This alone can bring a spiritual satisfaction.

The third Da is Damyata. It means "to control". True control is exerted not through force and a master, but by self-discipline and persuasion of others. So discipline of mind is necessary for spiritual achievement. Control over man's desire is the only way to peace and spiritual achievement.

Finally, Eliot gives his own personal impression. His prescription of the three remedies (Da, Da, Da) may seem as the cry of a madman, but this is the only way of gaining spiritual peace and bliss. The poet believes that man's salvation is possible if each individual looks after his own self-purification.