Vol. 11, Issue 5, Part A (2025)

Abstract
T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (1922) is a cornerstone of modernist literature, renowned for its deep engagement with the cultural, social, and intellectual crises that marked the early twentieth century. The poem reflects the disillusionment, fragmentation, and alienation characteristic of the modernist movement, offering a scathing commentary on the moral and spiritual decay of the post-World War I world. This research paper explores the modernist influences in Eliot’s poetry, particularly through a focused study of The Waste Land, analyzing its innovative use of form, structure, and literary allusion. The paper argues that Eliot’s poem is a direct response to the disintegration of traditional cultural and religious systems, manifesting as a fragmented narrative that challenges readers to navigate its complex web of references, voices, and meanings. Through its radical departure from conventional poetic forms, The Waste Land exemplifies key modernist characteristics, including a rejection of linear narrative, a preoccupation with the disjointedness of contemporary experience, and an exploration of the breakdown of individual and collective identity. The poem’s use of myth, allusion, and fragmentation serves as both a critique of the contemporary world and an attempt to capture the sense of dislocation and hopelessness pervasive in postwar society. By examining the themes of alienation, desolation, and the search for spiritual renewal in The Waste Land, this study underscores the poem's significance not only as a representation of the modernist ethos but also as a profound commentary on the human condition in an era defined by uncertainty and upheaval. Ultimately, the research highlights Eliot’s contribution to the modernist literary canon, emphasizing his role in reshaping poetry to reflect the complexities of a fractured, post-war world.