IV. Death by Water
This section of T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' is a meditation on the inevitability of death and the transient nature of life. Phlebas the Phoenician, a figure who has died, is described as having forgotten the sounds and movements of the world, symbolizing the finality of death. The sea, often a symbol of life and rebirth, here becomes a force that strips Phlebas of his identity and past, emphasizing the theme of decay and the passage of time. The mention of 'Gentile or Jew' suggests a universal message, urging all people, regardless of background, to reflect on their mortality. The poem warns against the hubris of those who 'turn the wheel', a metaphor for those who control or direct life, reminding them that they too are subject to the same fate as Phlebas. The imagery of the whirlpool suggests the cyclical nature of life and death, reinforcing the idea that life is a series of stages that ultimately lead to the same end.
| Word | In English | Plain (English) | Pron. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phlebas | a character in the poem | a dead Phoenician man | Flee-bas |
| fortnight | two weeks | 14 days | fort-night |
| swell | rise and fall of the sea | the up and down movement of the sea | swel |
| whispers | quiet sounds | very quiet sounds | whis-pers |
| whirlpool | spinning water | spinning water current | whirl-pool |
| Gentile | non-Jewish person | someone who is not Jewish | Jen-tile |
| windward | facing the wind | where the wind comes from | wind-ward |
| consider | think about | think about carefully | con-sid-er |
Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888–1965) was a leading figure in modernist poetry, known for his innovative use of language and verse structure. Born in the United States, he moved to England in 1914 and became a British subject in 1927. Eliot's notable works include 'The Waste Land' and 'Four Quartets'. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948.
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