Written by T.S Eliot

SUMMERYTHE HOLLOW MEN

This poem is a post war poem by T.S Eliot

The poem is begins with two epigraphs: one is a quotation from Joseph Conrad’ s heart of darkness remarking on the death of the doomed character Kurtz. The other is an expression used by English school children who want money buy fireworks to celebrate guy Fawkes day. On this Holiday people, burn straw images of Fawkes who tried to blow up the British parliament back in the 17th century .

The poem is narrated by one of the “Hollow men”.

CONTEXT

In the 1st section of the poem a bunch of hollow men are leaning together like ugliness every thing about them is as dry as the Sahara, desert, including their voices and their bodies everything they say and do is meaning less. They exist in a state like hell, except they were too fearful underhanded the violent acts that would have gained them access to hell.

They have not crossed over the river Styx to make it to either heaven or hell. The people who have crossed over remember these guys as “Hollow men”

THE 1ST SECTION OF THE POEM

In the 2nd section one hollow men is afraid to look at people who made it to “death’s dream kingdom”-either heaven or hell. The hollow live in a world of broken symbols and images.

THE 2ND SECTION OF THE POEM