About
T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) was an American-British poet, playwright, and literary critic. Born in St. Louis, he studied at Harvard, the Sorbonne, and Oxford before settling in London. Becoming a British citizen in 1927, he embraced Anglo-Catholicism. His poem 'The Waste Land' (1922) revolutionized modern poetry. Founder of the journal 'The Criterion', he also directed the publishing house Faber & Faber. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, he was also awarded the British Order of Merit and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. His plays, including 'Murder in the Cathedral', and his collection 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' (adapted into the musical 'Cats') left a lasting mark on 20th-century culture.
Major works
- The Waste Land (1922)poem
- Four Quartets (1943)poem
- Murder in the Cathedral (1935)play
- Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939)poetry collection
- The Cocktail Party (1949)play
Key milestones
- 1922Founded and edited the influential literary journal 'The Criterion' (1922-1939).
- 1927Became a British citizen and was received into the Church of England (Anglo-Catholic).
- 1948Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and appointed to the British Order of Merit.
Themes
Modernity and disillusionmentSpirituality and faithTradition and renewalTime and memoryIdentity and exile
Sources: nobelprize.org · poetryfoundation.org · oxfordreference.com