Passions

Relationships are the basis of human happiness. Love in human relationships is suppose to fill us, and surround us. What happiness can we really have without loving relationships in our lives? Eliot references epic love tales to show his audience destruction, death, and the emptiness relationships cause. In the first section Eliot references Tristian and Isolde. The specific part that is referenced is when Tristian is dying waiting for his love Isolde, but there is no sign of her. Tristian is dying because of Isolde, yet alone awaiting her arrival. This scene shows the audience the destruction, and emptiness relationships can cause. In a dying Tristian is losing his life and Isolde is losing the love of her life to death. This scene is about the destruction and loss love can bring to us. In the next section of the poem Eliot again references epic love tales, myths, and legends. The first line is “The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne.” This line references the first meeting of Cleopatra and Antony. The epic tale of love that also ends in death, and the loss of love. Reading further in the section Eliot again references the legend of Dido, and Aeneas, using the sentence "Flung their smoke into laquearia," as well as referencing the myth of Philomela. This section tells of love stories that don't end happy. All the relationships referenced within the first two sections are full of destruction, loss, death, and sadness. Dido commits suicide, Philomela is raped by her husband's friend, and she also commits suicide. These stories don't hold love and happiness. Eliot portrays relationships that end in pain and sadness. Why portray relationships in this light? In the title of section three is "The Fire Sermon" this a sermon preached by Budda against passions, passions that consume people and prevent their regeneration. The title of the Waste Land's third section could give the audience some insight to why Eliot decides to references the love stories filled with destruction, death, and loss. The relationships Eliot references are full of passions; passions of lust, anger, and envy. These passions push the relationship to destruction, death, loss, and emptiness. Perhaps Eliot was showing his audience that passions do not always lead us down a road of love and happiness, but passions and desires without the guidance of religion can lead to a road of destruction and loss.