Analysis of the first 18 lines of The Waste Land  by T.S. Eliot

First of all, considering the title, the reader can make himself some questions : what kind of land does the title refer to? Which is the main feature of a land which is wasted? Has this land ever been fertile?

Going on, considering that the writer uses very different languages, you can understand that the ideal reader should be a very well read person, otherwise he can remain with a big question mark.  From the dedication you can see that the poem was written for someone who is considered “ il miglior fabbro “ , that is someone who creates arts and crafts and therefore can transform something into something else. 

Considering the significance of the subheading, it creates a melancholic and mysterious atmosphere. Going on with the reading, the very first line refers to April in un unusual way: it isn’t the month of life regeneration, but it is “the cruelest month” and therefore assumes a bad connotation. There is a comma to create a pause. April is considered cruel because it breads Liliacs ( a kind of flower generally connected to funerals) and mixes memory (the past) and desire ( future expectations). You can recognize the modern time of time’s simultaneity. Even winter is seen unusually: it isn’t freezing but warm because the snow can cover the dead land and make people forget about it.

The extract is full of commas and enjambements creating a slow rhythm.

Considering the last part, the protagonist is Marie, who reminds the old times when she and her cousin went sledding and felt free. The reader may wonder: why is Marie thinking about her past? And what connects these last lines to the previous ones?