Thomas Stearns Eliot (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965) Thomas Stearns Eliot (known as Tom to his family and friends) was named after his grandfather Thomas Stearns. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 26th, 1888. His father was a successful businessman and his mother was a social worker. Tom was the youngest of 6 children, and his siblings were 8-19 years older than him. His oldest poem was written in 1905. When he was 15, he wrote his poem called “A Fable for Feasters” for a school exercise and was later published in various school and college magazines. He attended Smith Academy for 7 years and then in 1909 graduated from Harvard. He attended lectures and read the works of various poets for inspiration.
In 1915, Tom married Vivienne Haigh-Wood, who was a Cambridge governess. In 1917 he was hired by the Lloyds Bank in London. In 1922 one of his most famous poems, “The Waste Land” was published. A few years later, he decided to leave the bank and become part of a firm called Faber and Gwyer. Tom then converted to Anglicanism and became a British citizen. After he converted, in 1930, a poem called “Ash Wednesday” was published. In 1932, Tom was offered the professorship of the Charles Eliot Norton by Harvard University. After being married for 18 years, Tom and Vivienne separated. Then, in 1947, Vivienne died of a heart attack at age 58. She was living in a mental hospital at the time called Northumberland House.
Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. It was a very big moment in his life. He was remarried to a woman named Esme Valerie Fletcheron on January 10, 1957. T.S Eliot was a chronic smoker. He had many health problems including tachycardia and bronchitis. His immunity and stamina was affected majorly because of this. Sadly, he died on January 4, 1965. By his choice, his ashes were taken to St. Michael’s Church in East Coker.
POEMS BY T.S. ELIOT:
MORNING AT THE WINDOW
They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,
And along the trampled edges of the street
I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids
Sprouting despondently at area gates.
The brown waves of fog toss up to me
Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,
And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts
An aimless smile that hovers in the air
And vanishes along the level of the roofs.
ODE
To you particularly, and to all the Volscians Great hurt and mischief.
Tired. Subterrene laughter synchronous With silence from the sacred wood And bubbling of the uninspired Mephitic river. Misunderstood The accents of the now retired Profession of the calamus.
Tortured. When the bridegroom smoothed his hair There was blood upon the bed. Morning was already late. Children singing in the orchard (Io Hymen, Hymenaee) Succuba eviscerate.
Tortuous. By arrangement with Perseus The fooled resentment of the dragon Sailing before the wind at dawn Golden apocalypse. Indignant At the cheap extinction of his taking-off. Now lies he there Tip to tip washed beneath Charles' Wagon.
Thomas Stearns Eliot (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965)
Thomas Stearns Eliot (known as Tom to his family and friends) was named after his grandfather Thomas Stearns. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 26th, 1888. His father was a successful businessman and his mother was a social worker. Tom was the youngest of 6 children, and his siblings were 8-19 years older than him. His oldest poem was written in 1905. When he was 15, he wrote his poem called “A Fable for Feasters” for a school exercise and was later published in various school and college magazines. He attended Smith Academy for 7 years and then in 1909 graduated from Harvard. He attended lectures and read the works of various poets for inspiration.
In 1915, Tom married Vivienne Haigh-Wood, who was a Cambridge governess. In 1917 he was hired by the Lloyds Bank in London. In 1922 one of his most famous poems, “The Waste Land” was published. A few years later, he decided to leave the bank and become part of a firm called Faber and Gwyer. Tom then converted to Anglicanism and became a British citizen. After he converted, in 1930, a poem called “Ash Wednesday” was published. In 1932, Tom was offered the professorship of the Charles Eliot Norton by Harvard University. After being married for 18 years, Tom and Vivienne separated. Then, in 1947, Vivienne died of a heart attack at age 58. She was living in a mental hospital at the time called Northumberland House.
Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. It was a very big moment in his life. He was remarried to a woman named Esme Valerie Fletcheron on January 10, 1957. T.S Eliot was a chronic smoker. He had many health problems including tachycardia and bronchitis. His immunity and stamina was affected majorly because of this. Sadly, he died on January 4, 1965. By his choice, his ashes were taken to St. Michael’s Church in East Coker.
POEMS BY T.S. ELIOT:
- MORNING AT THE WINDOW
- They are rattling breakfast plates in basement kitchens,
- And along the trampled edges of the street
- I am aware of the damp souls of housemaids
- Sprouting despondently at area gates.
- The brown waves of fog toss up to me
- Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,
- And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts
- An aimless smile that hovers in the air
- And vanishes along the level of the roofs.
- ODE
To you particularly, and to all the VolsciansGreat hurt and mischief.
Tired.
Subterrene laughter synchronous
With silence from the sacred wood
And bubbling of the uninspired
Mephitic river.
Misunderstood
The accents of the now retired
Profession of the calamus.
Tortured.
When the bridegroom smoothed his hair
There was blood upon the bed.
Morning was already late.
Children singing in the orchard
(Io Hymen, Hymenaee)
Succuba eviscerate.
Tortuous.
By arrangement with Perseus
The fooled resentment of the dragon
Sailing before the wind at dawn
Golden apocalypse. Indignant
At the cheap extinction of his taking-off.
Now lies he there
Tip to tip washed beneath Charles' Wagon.