TS Eliot's poem "The Four Quartets" illustrates an intricate link between the various problems and limitations of language and those of religious thought. This direct relationship is expressed through the first two quartets of poetry, “Burnt Norton” and “East Coker,” which find the poet grappling with the meanings and perceptions of language and religious beliefs Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games. "Shouldn't It Be Banned'? Get an Original Essay To fully understand the various problems of the language, it is first necessary to examine the variety of linguistic styles used in this poem. The first most striking feature of the poem is its title, ". Four Quartets", which invokes a sense of musicality. Indeed, we find an orchestration of a variety of styles and voices throughout the poem. The first movement of "Burnt Norton" introduces us to the voice of a philosopher in deep meditation on the past , the future, and what might have been as the poet begins with the rather enigmatic lines, "Time present and time past/ Are both perhaps present in time future..." ("Burnt Norton," I, ll. 1-2) The second stanza seems to completely break from the previous style and voice as we see the experience in the rose garden described with emotional words and repetition to show excitement The numerous adjectives such as “vibrant” and “dignified” indicate the rather descriptive language of this passage, which may be at odds with the thoughtful and abstract language used in the opening stanza. The poem also uses several Old English lines such as "daunsinge, meaning marriages" ("East Coker", I, line 30) . This continues in the next four lines to show not only the great variety of the language, but also to describe its significant evolution. The idea of the evolution of language introduces the theme of time, which concerns the cyclical nature of language, life and death. . Eliot, at the beginning of "East Coker," states, "In my beginning is my end," which suggests that life and death are two sides of the same idea of existence. The life cycle of societies also constantly gives rise to change, as Eliot argues that the old is always made new. This implies that human life is both finite and eternal: when we die, our relatives survive and the next generation succeeds. Although Eliot's description of change refers directly to life, it can also easily be seen as a metaphor for the evolution and ever-changing temperament of language. This is especially evident as the poem states that old things are "removed, destroyed, restored or in their place/ Is an open field, or a factory, or a bypass" ("East Coker," I, ll. 3-4 ). Therefore, the meanings and implications of words constantly change over time, creating problems of interpretation. This is displayed through the juxtaposition of religious and secular ideas in the passage to create the same image. We are first presented with the image of a Christian burial scene as the poem states, “Old fires in ashes and ashes on the earth” (“East Coker,” I, l. 6). This is quickly contrasted with the pragmatic view that there is a time for everything: everything finds its true form and meaning in time. However, this practical view is somewhat unclear because it seems that even in a non-religious universe there exists a higher being who controls human life in the form of time. Eliot's struggle with this superior being and his attempts to harness it leave him in anguish as he protests with the words "he will not remain in his place/I will not say yet" ("Burnt Norton", V, l. 17). The disruptive impact of time comes againmentioned while Eliot explains that writing means starting over every time. This is a problem because while you are learning the correct uses of a word, it ceases to exist or the transforming effect of time has completely changed its context and meaning. The first two quartets also raise the question of interpretation, and the problems of language, religion and knowledge appear linked due to religious distrust of language. The particular religious belief Eliot adopts is that of apophaic or negative theology, which states that we must recognize our powerlessness to reach a higher level. Eliot first mentions this belief in the first movement of Burnt Norton, where he talks about transcendence through suffering. The third movement of "East Coker" finds Eliot telling his soul to calm down and "Let the darkness come upon you / Which will be the darkness of God" ("East Coker", III, ll. 12-13) . This juxtaposition of ideas implies that to reach above we must first strive downward. The positive and the negative do not simply coexist, but are the same thing. This form of belief creates problems of interpretation, since we are offered two contrasting but complementary arguments. The danger of such coexistence was perhaps best described by the poet WB Yeats, who warned of a "sharp oscillation between radically different points of view." The juxtaposition of the two different paths to transcendence represented in apophaic theology can also describe the problems of language. Eliot constantly refers to both the old and new language, which suggests that he believes the only way to achieve literary transcendence is to combine the old and new forms of language to form a whole. Therefore, due to the coexistence of religious and literary views, we are faced not only with an ambiguity of meanings but also with a dark topic about how to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Eliot's attitude towards language also appears to have been influenced by his religious beliefs. Negative theologians see words as having a tendency to foster positive statements, not to develop negative perspectives with equal depth. The poet, from the beginning, appears skeptical and even cynical regarding the possibility of ever extracting a concrete meaning from words. This uncertainty is first seen in “Burnt Norton,” as Eliot states, “What might have been is an abstraction / Remaining a perpetual possibility” (“Burnt Norton,” I, ll. 6-7). While this refers to missed opportunities, it can also be considered a meditation on the interpretation of language. Each person can extract different meaning from words, which makes communicating a particular vision or idea problematic. The limits of our knowledge are also reflected through the restrictions of language. The poem shows a genuine doubt about whether any experience can be trusted. This is expressed in the depiction of the events at the rose garden. Although in the two quartets it is presented as the strongest example of true experience, its various mythical allusions, such as the bird in the garden, make it somehow accentuated and therefore imaginary. The language used to describe the scenario, which contained much repetition to show excitement and a wide variety of adjectives, can be described as lacking "the intensity of a defined individual experience". The issues of language, knowledge and religion are further intertwined due to their reliance on some sort of form to give them meaning and significance. At the beginning of the fifth movement of “Burnt Norton,” Eliot states that “Only through form, through pattern, / Can the",.
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