What He Left Behind

Eliot's work laid the foundations for an entire generation and for several generations to come later. His poetry and plays are still in wide use today and a lot of his words have become the stuff of legend. For the armchair bookworm, it might look as if his work is some of the more 'heavy' stuff that one makes a point to avoid, but you'd be surprised to know just how oft quoted this man's work is in modern times. From the Simpsons to The School Of Rock, all of them have, whether inadvertently or not, quoted Eliot. Both played the song 'Memory' from the Broadway musical 'Cats', the second longest running one in history and based on Eliot's anthology of poems: “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats”. The song itself was based on the poems 'Prelude' and 'Rhapsody on a Windy Night'. So chances are you've been exposed to his work and even ended up liking it, whether you wanted to or not.

He has been in Stephen King movies, in songs by Genesis, Switchfoot and Van Morrison. Hell, he's even in Halo 3, where the soundtrack uses a reversed version of The Hollow Men.  And who can forget the eerie recital of The Hollow Men by Marlon Brando's screen character Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now? It remains, to this date, one of the most iconic big screen moments.

But his influence doesn't just end there. He was one of the people who gave weight to the New Criticism theory for poetry and helped give poetry readers, critics and poets alike new ways to improve and reflect upon their works. It ushered in a new era for literature, and the literary world will forever be indebted to the man who set about trying to show us all fear in a handful of dust. It doesn't, however, stop the criticism from rolling in. He has been labeled a racist and an anti-Semitic prick like his friend Ezra Pound, by his detractors and even some fans. But that's just people trying to perfect the voice behind the verses. But even in the face of damning evidence, I wouldn't have it any other way. His work defined him. Everything else is just noise. For those who haven't yet read any of his works, give it a shot. But start slow and enjoy it. There is a weird, possessive connection to be made there, and you'll come out all the better for it.

The best of Eliot

1. The Waste Land
2. The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock
3. Gerontion
4. The Hollow Men
5. Four Quartets
6. Rhapsody on a Windy Night
7. The Hippopotamus