100 years on, T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men is a poem for our populist moment

14 days ago

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T.S. Eliot's conversion to Anglo-Catholicism in 1927 marked a shift from his earlier nihilistic themes.
The poem 'The Hollow Men' (1925) serves as a bridge between Eliot's earlier despair and his later spiritual rebirth.
Eliot critiques modern intellectualism and secularism, associating them with spiritual paralysis and cultural decay.
The rise of populism and religious nationalism today mirrors the political climate of the 1920s.
Eliot's work resonates with contemporary Christian nationalist movements that view secularism as a failed project.
The poem uses imagery of hollowness and paralysis to critique ineffectual liberalism and advocate for decisive action.
Eliot's later works, like 'Ash Wednesday' and 'After Strange Gods,' further explore his rejection of secularism.
The poem's closing lines ('Not with a bang but a whimper') are often misinterpreted as despairing but may instead be a call to action.
Eliot's critique of hollow intellectualism parallels modern anti-elitist sentiments, as seen in figures like J.D. Vance.
The enduring relevance of 'The Hollow Men' lies in its critique of spiritual and political paralysis.

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