Homework Help: english (poetry)

Posted by Jennifer on Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 10:25pm.

n school, right now we are going over T.S. Eliot's "Preludes" and "Not Waving but Drowning" by Stevie Smith. I see the dark, "sordid" message about social unrest in industrialized society Eliot was portraying in "Preludes," although an overall thesis and tone I find hard to pinpoint. In "Not Waving but Drowning" I see how Smith was implicating a theme of desperation by implying a life of struggle unnoticed by the rest of society.
Unfortunately this is about the extent of my understanding. If possible, I'd appreciate any comments, summaries, interpretations, ect. to help me better grasp these poems.
Information on meter and other technical aspects is much appreciated as well-aren't both poems free verse?

english (poetry) - SraJMcGin, Monday, April 21, 2008 at 9:41am
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. Here are some site on that poetry:

1. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/eliot_preludes.html

2. (some essays): http://www.academon.com/lib/paper/54178.html

3. (about the title; slide down to T.S. Elliot): http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=811701

4. (some other questions and answers): http://www.emule.com/2poetry/phorum/read.php?6,146277,147299

5. (bio of Stevie Smith): http://asms.k12.ar.us/classes/humanities/britlit/97-98/smith/smith3.htm

6. (poem & comments): http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/not-waving-but-drowning/

7. (interesting annotations): http://www.newtrier.k12.il.us/academics/faculty/medwin/MedwinPoetryWeb/4th%20period/deLeonUpdate/deLeonWeb/default.htm

8. (a lesson plan): http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePlan.do?planId=7746

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