The last major verse written by Nobel laureate T. S. Eliot, considered by Eliot himself to be his finest work Four Quartets is a rich composition that expands the spiritual vision introduced in “The Waste Land.” Here, in four linked poems (“Burnt Norton,” “East Coker,” “The Dry Salvages,” and “Little Gidding”), spiritual, philosophical, and personal themes emerge through symbolic allusions and literary and religious references from both Eastern and Western thought. It is the culminating achievement by a man considered the greatest poet of the twentieth century and one of the seminal figures in the evolution of modernism.

This book of annotations to Four Quartets provides unparalleled, page by page insights into the thoughts and background material behind the poem. It will be a unique asset for any reader who wants help in navigating the extraordinary complexities of T.S. Eliots final masterpiece. Carol Simpson Stern, Professor, Department of Performance Studies and Poetry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

Eliot’s Four Quartets is arguably the finest long poem in modern English literature. It is also one that presents considerable problems of interpretation. In Word Unheard, first published in 1969, Blamires aims to unravel some of these problems by guiding the reader line by line through the poem, blending paraphrase with commentary. Blamires pays particular attention to the philosophical and theological dimensions of the poem and to its multifarious personal, historical and literary allusions. This title will be of interests to students of literature.

A collection of poems, some of which had first appeared in Poetry, Blas, Others, The Little Review, and Arts and Letters.

T.S. Eliot is widely considered the most important and most influential poet of the 20th century. Many consider Four Quartets to be the finest of his poems and his greatest achievement. In this masterful journey into the beauties and depths of Eliot's masterpiece, the bestselling author, professor and critic Thomas Howard unravels the complexities of the sublime poem with such adept adroitness that even its most difficult passages spring to life. During his long years as a professor teaching English and Literature, Howard taught this poem often, and developed what he calls "a reading" approach to the concepts of this masterpiee to render its meaning more lucid for the reader. Therefore, this is not a "scholarly" work, but rather the brilliant insights of a master teacher and writer whose understanding of this profound poem and his deep love for the writing of Eliot are shared here for the great benefit of the reader.

'At last, we have a study that tackles these questions, and does so with a wealth of learning, a poet's sensibility and a thorough theological literacy...Murray has given us a superb study.' Rowan Williams, Doctrine and Life 'His point of view is always that of someone practised in meditation, and his book is in consequence one of the half-dozen really valuable guides to Eliot's poetry.' Stephen Medcalf, Times Literary Supplement The story of the composition of Four Quartets, in relation to mysticism, constitutes one of the most interesting pages in modern literary history. T.S. Eliot drew his inspiration not only from the literature of orthodox Christian mysticism and from a variety of Hindu and Buddhist sources, but also from the literature of the occult, and from several unexpected and so far unacknowledged sources such as the 'mystical' symbolism of Shakespeare's later plays and the visionary poetry of Rudyard Kipling. But the primary concern of this study is not with sources as such, nor with an area somewhere behind the work, but rather with that point in Four Quartets where Eliot's own mystical attitude and his poetry unite and intersect.

This exploration of T. S. Eliot's last major poem, Four Quartets, examines the poem’s potential to transform readers’ faith journeys. Kramer shows that the power of Four Quartets is its ability to create a dynamic interaction between the poem and the reader that promotes a genuine connection with the natural world, with others, and with the Divine.

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The last major verse written by Eliot and what Eliot himself considered his finest work, Four Quartets is a rich composition that expands the spiritual vision brought out in The Waste Land. Here, in four linked poems, spiritual, philosophical, and personal themes emerge through symbolic allusions and literary and religious references from both Eastern and Western thought. Four Quartets is the culminating achievement by a man considered the greatest poet of the twentieth century and one of the seminal figures in the evolution of modernism. Book jacket.