T.S. Eliot Reads: The Wasteland, Four Quartets and Other Poems

by T.S. Eliot

The Poems:


The Wasteland
The Hollow Men
Journey of the Magi from the Ariel Poems
La Figlia che Piange
Landscape: New Hampshite, Virginia, Usk, Rannoch, by Glencoe, Cape Ann
Morning at the Window
Difficulties of a Statesman from Coriolan
Sweeney Among the Nightingales
Whispers of Immortality
Macavity: the Mystery Cat
The Four Quartets
Ash Wednesday
A Song for the Simeon from the Ariel poems
Marina from the Ariel poems
Triumphal March from Coriolan
O Light Invisible, from The Rock
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Portrait of a Lady
Preludes
Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service
Murder in the Cathederal: Part II, Opening Chorus
The Family Reunion: Part II, A Chorus

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Classic Literature, Literature

audio cassette

Published April 26, 2000

About the author

Thomas Stearns Eliot was a poet, dramatist and literary critic. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 "for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry." He wrote the poems The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, Ash Wednesday, and Four Quartets; the plays Murder in the Cathedral and The Cocktail Party; and the essay Tradition and the Individual Talent. Eliot was born an American, moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 (at the age of 25), and became a British subject in 1927 at the age of 39.

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.S._Eliot

Reviews

[Elfortunawe]

~~~On First Reading~~~[return][return]There's not much to be said about these poems on first reading. For the most part they're too cryptic to be properly understood right off the bat, with one exception being "Journey of the Magi".[return][return]"Journey of the Magi" is a monologue, assumedly from one of the famous Magi from the East who came looking for Jesus in the wake of a star. Basically (and I say this with a reserve of irony, since Eliot's poetry can hardly be described as basic) it concerns the effects, on one, of a religious experience.[return][return]The rest of the poems will have to wait on a second reading.

[S.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

His poems are fantastic on paper, even better read aloud, and absolutely perfect when read by Eliot himself. Whether you want to or not, after listening to Eliot read his work, you will hear his voice in your head every time you read his poems in the future. This recording of "Prufrock" is particularly well-done.

[Annie Nardone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally had to click the "read" button, but are we ever really done reading Eliot's primary works? I've read the Four Quartets several times and I gain a new insight at each reading. His words gently twist and turn, then kick you off of a cliff. Harsh and beautiful, rhythmic and rambling, and I really love that I'll never be able to take it all in.
I'm currently working on The Wasteland.

[Richard Paulson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do I have to put one star? Minus all the stars that exist for his so-called poetry. This man is NOT a poet. I can't say it too emphatically. And for people to even consider him a great poet, they have to be dumb beyond belief. He never was a poet. His works are nonsensical and comes from an insane mind. So a guy that is actually crazy purports to be a poet, and then becomes recognized even as a great poet, shows that the world today is full of nutcases. Now, I am NOT a painter, but just because I can put paint on canvass, it does not make me a painter, yet my painting is much better than his said "poetry". I just cannot rubbish his works enough. It's total madness that people think they can see good things in his works of gibberish. Listening to a nutcase and setting him on a pedestal, shows the kind of world we live in.

[litosite · Rating 5 out of 5]

[1/24/2026] Wasteland and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock are chosen for this week's book club (poetry) materials.

Love song: Who is the love song to? It seems to be an incel who is craving for love but also self-abasing. Example, "Do I dare" seems to be another voice lingering on protagonist's head. His bold hair reflects a spotlight effect in psychology. There are only two voices (compared with Wasteland, as the first poem T.S.Eliot published), one is extremely romantic, the other is realistic.

Wasteland: highly tied to after WII; the passing away of his soulmate, his job in Lloyd bank, and his unsuccessful marriage. Duke Center for Teaching and Learning provides the works of T.S.Eliot, which does great help to me.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a pleasure to read such a talented poet, but, for some reason, I like the Wasteland better than several pieces of the Four Quartets. The Quartets are crafted, but seem tame and forced in places.

[ashishkebab · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any collection, the works are intertwined. There are some that drag the collection down, but the Wasteland itself is as perpetually bleak and realistic as it always has been. And I found a new favorite in Gerontion. Four stars.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect listening for making candles in a cabin in the woods. This may be the only audio that I add to my list, but you've gotta hear Eliot in his own voice.
Must read-3
Accessible-3

[Emily Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

spoken word is powerful, and Eliot knows how to read words in a way to make you think. Because you can't have the author with you always, you need to hear him read these poems at least once.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wasteland is not an easy read, but it's powerful stuff if you give it a chance.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to Eliot read his epic and thought provoking poems brings entirely new levels of meaning to phrases that aren't necessarily in the text alone.

[Leighann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read a couple of these poems, The Hollow Men and The Hippopotamus. But I give these poems 5 stars - The Hollow Men refers to the Character Kurtz from Conrads Heart of Darkness.

[Klay Kubiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite writer of all time..."the hollow men" i find to be his best work.

[Claire S]

Hmmm.. another I'm totally ignorant of, and would rather that weren't so.

[O'Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent as always -- have read it many times before.

[Mandi Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.

[Cate Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the time my mind doesn't understand what Eliot is saying, but my soul does. And that, is the beauty of poetry.