Allusions In The Hollow Men

It is made visible that Eliot’s use of literary allusion does not bring confusion to the responder as it provides meaning that is comprehensive to the human spirit. Eliot makes it clear that his focus of the industrial period is embedded in his literary allusion where he is not apologetic for as he aims to expose society’s lack of responsibility and draws attention to hope and salvation. He expresses the fragmentation of his world from the physical and emotional scars of World War I driving in civilisation, imperialism and industrialisation. In his poem, ‘The Hollow Men’ is neatly constructed of various allusions that effectively create messages of society’s meaninglessness.

In ‘The Hollow Men’, Eliot uses literary forms and techniques to form the loss of tradition and the aftermath fragmentation of his world. Eliot makes use of allusion at the epigraph “Mistah Kurtz-he dead” is quoted from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness about the death of a doomed …show more content…
This reflects the “Hollowness” and the “stuffed” emptiness that echoes. Eliot suggests that to resolute is to take a chance: if you have nothing to live with you have nothing, but if you have and it doesn’t elevate then you are fulfilled somehow through these several allusions.

To conclude, ‘The Hollow Men’ is an act of reflection of a fragmented society and the mysteries of redemption. It is lucid that Eliot endeavours to proclaim his internal thoughts of the flaws of his society through references of Kurtz, Fawkes and Brutus highlighting the subjects, idealism, instability and optimism that lie among the industrial