Gerontion

Historical Context:

• Elliot: Moved to Britain at age 25 in 1914
• Wrote poem immediately after
• Aftermath of WWI

Title

·         Gerontion: greek for elder

o   Old man: internal monologue

References

·         Christianity

o   “Christ as a tiger”

§  Imposing figure

§  Represents the supreme being

§  Christ as a violent force

o   Need for Christ following war

§  Questioning God’s ability to maintain peace(WWI)

§  Christ as a destructive force

§  Justifying the need for Christ

·         Comparing Poetry

o   Spider Web

§  Keeps writing poetry even after he’s lost his interest

§  Intricite spider web- similar to poem

§  Similar to narrator, must keep living following the war, even though he’s unsure of his place in life

·         “Dry” theme

o   Reflects nature of the narrator

o   Waiting for rain: symbolizes renewal

·         Proper nouns

o   Personalizes everything, especially the effects of the war

o   Provides more details on specifics