A Guide to the Selected Poems of T.S. Eliot

by B.C. Southam

A unique guide designed to help the readers of Eliot’s personally chosen collection, Selected Poems. Specific information about the poems and their development is included, as is a chronology of the poet’s life and work.

Genres: Poetry, Literary Criticism

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Amal Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights into Eliot’s more elusive allusions. Would never have spotted most of these myself.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

In A GUIDE TO THE SELECTED POEMS OF T.S. ELIOT the critic B.C. Southam has prepared an ideal guide for students new to T.S. Eliot's poetry. Southam is adamant about seeking to help students who have already been attracted by Eliot's work to form their own appreciation and understanding.

Though I've been a fan of T.S. Eliot for many years, I learned quite a bit from Southam's notes. All four "Ariel Poems" - which are deceptively simple and difficult for students to penetrate - are covered in depth. The often-neglected "Chorus From The Rock" finally gets substantial attention here.

My largest complaint about the work is that it is indeed a guide only to the material which appears in Faber & Faber's SELECTED POEMS. As a result, the extremely tricky and allusive FOUR QUARTETS is not covered (too late), nor is Eliot's early turn at drama "Sweeney Agonistes" (not strictly poetry).

Another problem is that not all of the book has been updated after great discoveries in Eliot studies - such as Valerie Eliot's edition of the manuscript of "The Waste Land". Southam makes some assertions which are clearly informed from the latest evidence, but other material looks as if it has remained unchanged since the book's first edition.

In spite of its flaws, I think Southam's work is a great resource for school and university students who find Eliot sublime but opaque. I'd recommend it to any beginning reader of that great poet's work.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

So if you're going to read Eliot, you really should at least have a perfunctory understanding of his manifold allusions. This is the basic guide that folks use and it's pretty helpful. I've heard the Norton Critical edition (ed. Michael North) is better, but it's harder to get your hands on (it's on order!). Sometimes Southam's notes are annoying; he makes connections that are really not there (like anytime he mentions Joyce, just block him out). However, I do think that you need something to help you with "The Waste Land" and the online sources are even worse. This book corresponds to the Selected Poems (i.e. not Collected Poems) so big chunks of his writing aren't glossed and you're left to scratch your head and mire resentment for Eliot for making everything so damn convoluted. Supposedly, they're coming out with an updated full gloss on the Collected Poems soon, but until then you should at least look at this one if you want to read Eliot. . .and why wouldn't you?

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very highly recommended to those getting to know Eliot's poetry. The only fault I find is that there were a few things I would have lined to look up that were not included. Most problems in Eliot's challenging work just melt away.

[Meg Clayton]

poetry

[Milky Cosmos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. The actual selected poems that is.