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T.S. Elitist (Part Three of Three)

© Audrey McCrone

A mermaid singing makes me think of a siren: one meant to beguile men into coming close enough to be eaten, spellbound by her song. Eliot greatly details his images, such as the water near the end of this poem, which I enjoy. But, "human voices wake us, and we drown." Eliot doesn't rise to the occasion of love, but rather drowns in idle desire. On the contrary, others act, taking and making the most of every loving moment on a flourishing planet, while Eliot's explication of water is one bleakly impressive, discounting any optimism; quite cynical.

The Cocktail Party is supposed to be a comedy, but I find it morally disturbing instead. In it, he relays a story of a couple, Edward and Lavinia, whom are separated and both have been having affairs. We find the cocktail party an indirect way of finding Edward feels trapped in a loveless marriage (through his dialogue with a guest, about Lavinia leaving him, rather than being on a visit with her sick aunt). Edward is embarrassed and needs to spout to someone, after the few guests leave, and we soon find out Edward's been having an affair with Celia, likely the real reason Lavinia left. Eliot, as if from some pathetic sense of justice or redemption (somewhat a tit-for-tat and childish game) writes Lavinia as having an affair as well, only to come back and drive Celia away. Celia becomes the tragic female character.

Edward and Lavinia reunite and Celia winds up a nun, crucified in some third-world country by "a band of half-crazed savages." Edward and Lavinia are left feeling responsible for Celia's death, as they should. Minor characters had been plotting all along to have Edward and Lavinia reunite, but neither of the two main characters are honestly likeable. Lavinia we barely see, and Edward paints marriage as stigma, never noting romance or any sense of pride in companionship, nor faithful endurance and devotion. We get the sense the two are stuck together because it's supposed to be that way, and not nearly for love. Imagine Eliot the anti-romantic poet. I was very surprised to find he was inspired by the English romantics! How is this mutation even possible?

What an easy disclaimer for any man to note in light of extra-marital affairs! In my mind, there is no reason to cheat, and if there were, I feel that strength lies in leaving a loveless marriage instead of ongoing suffering and foul memories that never completely fade. Relationships, in general, take on a different perspective from Eliot's view. Lucky was the woman in the past who did not have a chauvinist for a partner, and whom could admit sharing duty as well as intelligence, in addition to sexual understanding in marriage.

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