Preludes

In 1917, T.S. Eliot created a poem dealing with spiritually exhausted people who exist in an impersonal, crude modern society. This poem, “Preludes” captures the poor spiritual lives of those living in a lonely, sordid, corrupt culture. Eliot focuses on imagery to bring this poem alive in the minds of the reader. The central theme of the poem is about the feeling of despair at the decline and dissolution of modern civilization. Due to many …

…and stamps. And then the lighting of the lamps.” (lines 9-13) Although Eliot uses many powerful techniques in “Preludes”, his most prominent is the use of imagery. T.S. Eliot’s use of images is what makes “Preludes” the intense poem it is, embodying each idea in words that focus on one’s senses. He presents images that one can almost see, hear, and smell, inviting the reader to feel the despair of modern society.