International Journal of Linguistics and Education

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Art Versus Racism: T. S Eliot’s the Hollow Men and Black Identity

Received: 19 October 2016    Accepted: 31 January 2017    Published: 03 May 2017
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Abstract

The Anglo-American poet T. S. Eliot refers to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, among other literary and historical sources in his well-known poem entitled The Hollow Men. The link of this poem to his earlier works in the neo-Metaphysical tradition has already been established by various scholars and critics of twentieth century English literature. What eludes the awareness of Eliot's readers is the specific relevance of his verse style to White supremacists' apprehension of issues which concern poetry, culture and society in the West. One central theme of The Hollow Men is duncehood insofar as this human condition reveals itself in supposedly meaningless or barren engagements like rustic dance, singing, verbal (folk) expression and festivity outside a typically European landscape. In previous studies, literary commentators have failed to read Eliot's poem correctly by relating it to the behavior of African-Americans of Harlem Renaissance, or of Blacks in exile generally. This study is an analysis and interpretation of Eliot's writing that suggests his racial bigotry and intolerance, but everything can be seen in terms of the Western conservative outlook on politics, culture, and man's destiny in the modern world.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijle.20170202.13
Published in International Journal of Linguistics and Education (Volume 2, Issue 2, June 2017)
Page(s) 40-50
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Duncehood, Alienation, Black Identity, Culture, Anglo-Catholicism

References
[1] Ackroyd, Peter, (1985). T. S. Eliot. London: Hamish Hamilton Ltd, also Sphere Books Ltd, 1984. See also B. C. Southam, Student’s Guide to the Selected Poems of T. S. Eliot, London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 1968 and 1981, pp. 113-125. The critics over-emphasize Eliot’s religious commitment. T. S. Pearce, T. S. Eliot, London: Evan Brothers Limited, 1967, pp. 15-19 and F. R. Leavis, “Approaches to T. S. Eliot,” in The Common Pursuit, pp. 278-298.
[2] Adoff, Arnold, ed. (1973). The Poetry of Black America: Anthology of the 20th Century, New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
[3] Brown, Lloyd W. (1978). "The African Heritage and the Harlem Renaissance," African Literature Today, 9, p.3.
[4] Bush, Ronald (1984). T. S. Eliot: A Study in Character and Style, New York and Oxford: Oxford U. Press, 1984; O. U. P. Paperback edition. Bush is outstanding in his analysis, but he omits the crucial point that Eliot undoubtedly wants us to get from an allusion to African traditional (folk) music and poetry relying on prose style in verbal performance and some drum-beats for effective artist-audience participation. Recital here can be as in dramatic (i.e. open-stage or public) entertainment. This method has no earlier European parallel in verse writing.
[5] Clarke, John Henrik, (1974). "Marcus Garvey: The Harlem Years," Transition, Vo1.9. No.46.
[6] Echeruo, Michael J. C. (1978). The Conditional Imagination from Shakespeare to Conrad, London: The Macmillan Press. Professor Echeruo has provided a useful detailed reference list in his criticism. See also Chinua Achebe, Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays 1965-1987. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books, 1988, see G. D Killam, Africa in English Fiction: 1874-1939, See also F. R. Leavis, “Diabolic Intellect and the Noble Hero: or the Sentimentalist’s Othello,
[7] Eliot, T. S. (1951). “Shakespeare and the Stoicism of Seneca,” in Selected Essays. London: Faber and Faber.
[8] Eliot, T. S. (1963 & 1964). Collected Poems 1909-1962, London: Faber and Faber.
[9] Killam, G. D, (1968). Africa in English Fiction: 1874-1939, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press.
[10] Leavis, F. R., (1952, 1962). “Diabolic Intellect and the Noble Hero: or the Sentimentalist’s Othello,” in The Common Pursuit, London: Chatto and WInglus; Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
[11] Newhouse, Neville H. (1966). Joseph Conrad, London: Evans Brothers Limited.
[12] Ofeimun, Odia, (2000). A Lecture titled "When Strangers Don Indigo Before The Bereaved Cries Out His Loss." Delivered at the English Department, University of Lagos, 12 July 2000.
[13] Ogude, S. E. (1976). “Swedenborg and Blake’s “Little Black Boy,” Asemka, No. 4 (September, 1976).
[14] Southam, B. C. (1974). Student’s Guide to the Selected Poems of T. S. Eliot, London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 1968 and 1981. He omits any reference (major or minor) to Negro- American political and literary activities in Eliot's day. See J. R. Hooker, "The Pan-African Conference 1900," Transition, Vol.9 No.46, pp.2024.
Author Information
  • Department of English, Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria

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    Stephen Adebayo Ogunpitan. (2017). Art Versus Racism: T. S Eliot’s the Hollow Men and Black Identity. International Journal of Linguistics and Education, 2(2), 40-50. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijle.20170202.13

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    Stephen Adebayo Ogunpitan. Art Versus Racism: T. S Eliot’s the Hollow Men and Black Identity. Int. J. Linguist. Educ. 2017, 2(2), 40-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ijle.20170202.13

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    Stephen Adebayo Ogunpitan. Art Versus Racism: T. S Eliot’s the Hollow Men and Black Identity. Int J Linguist Educ. 2017;2(2):40-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ijle.20170202.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijle.20170202.13,
      author = {Stephen Adebayo Ogunpitan},
      title = {Art Versus Racism: T. S Eliot’s the Hollow Men and Black Identity},
      journal = {International Journal of Linguistics and Education},
      volume = {2},
      number = {2},
      pages = {40-50},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijle.20170202.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijle.20170202.13},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijle.20170202.13},
      abstract = {The Anglo-American poet T. S. Eliot refers to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, among other literary and historical sources in his well-known poem entitled The Hollow Men. The link of this poem to his earlier works in the neo-Metaphysical tradition has already been established by various scholars and critics of twentieth century English literature. What eludes the awareness of Eliot's readers is the specific relevance of his verse style to White supremacists' apprehension of issues which concern poetry, culture and society in the West. One central theme of The Hollow Men is duncehood insofar as this human condition reveals itself in supposedly meaningless or barren engagements like rustic dance, singing, verbal (folk) expression and festivity outside a typically European landscape. In previous studies, literary commentators have failed to read Eliot's poem correctly by relating it to the behavior of African-Americans of Harlem Renaissance, or of Blacks in exile generally. This study is an analysis and interpretation of Eliot's writing that suggests his racial bigotry and intolerance, but everything can be seen in terms of the Western conservative outlook on politics, culture, and man's destiny in the modern world.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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    AB  - The Anglo-American poet T. S. Eliot refers to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, among other literary and historical sources in his well-known poem entitled The Hollow Men. The link of this poem to his earlier works in the neo-Metaphysical tradition has already been established by various scholars and critics of twentieth century English literature. What eludes the awareness of Eliot's readers is the specific relevance of his verse style to White supremacists' apprehension of issues which concern poetry, culture and society in the West. One central theme of The Hollow Men is duncehood insofar as this human condition reveals itself in supposedly meaningless or barren engagements like rustic dance, singing, verbal (folk) expression and festivity outside a typically European landscape. In previous studies, literary commentators have failed to read Eliot's poem correctly by relating it to the behavior of African-Americans of Harlem Renaissance, or of Blacks in exile generally. This study is an analysis and interpretation of Eliot's writing that suggests his racial bigotry and intolerance, but everything can be seen in terms of the Western conservative outlook on politics, culture, and man's destiny in the modern world.
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