With our in-class poetry unit over, I would like to turn your attention to the Interweb.
The shear volume of classic / canonical poetry on the internet is awe-inspiring. I would like to use T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" as a starting point for poetic analysis on the internet.
I've already done a Google search for the poem, and I would like you to read these three versions of the same poem. Note that before the URL, I've named these web pages in the same manner as their authors have. Hopefully this will allow us to begin to distinguish them.
- The Hollow Men - http://www.blight.com/~sparkle/poems/hollow.html
- "The Hollow Men" - http://www.columbia.edu/itc/tc/scfu4016/hollow.html
- A Hypertext Version of T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" - http://www.aduni.org/~heather/occs/honors/Poem.htm
- Read the identical poems in this order.
- Read each version before you move to the next one.
- Do not scan them, take note of their differences and similarities.
- Make notes as you read to help you understand the meaning of the poem.
- Look up, and then write down all the words you do not understand. I suggest the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, but since you are already online, go to www.m-w.com (The Merriam - Webster Online Dictionary).
- Ask yourself, are the poems different from one another?
- Is one version harder to read than another? Why (Consider colour and layout)?
- Does the reader's understanding of the theme of the poem change from any particular version?
- How can a reader be sure of the authenticity of a poem on the internet?
- What are the benefits and disadvantages to having poetry on the internet?
- Are there historical or editorial reasons for changes in these poems?
- Why study this poem after Conrad's Heart of Darkness?
15 comments:
To discern the existence of the unfertile pastures of humanity
When configuring the three versions of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Hollow Men’—a minuscule variation is detected between the three variations of the poem. To contemplate the similarities and differences, one must take into consideration the personal effects on the publisher. Armando Menezes once stated, “The artist, as an artist, must be content with the splendor and, through this splendor strive to convey the truth. He has no business with truth as such as the philosopher, for instance, has. He has no concern with conduct as such, as the moralist, for instance, has. It is not his function to exhort men to good works, or to prove things; but merely to exhibit them.” The sheer triumph of the publisher is witnessed when their primary ideal is conveyed—a sudden realization of an epic universal truth or desire, common to the true reality of humanity. The reader may be suddenly inundated with the vast unfathomable concepts made visible by the artist. As Menezes states, “For tragedy makes experience significant; and by making it significant, it makes it beautiful; and by making it beautiful, it makes it pleasant.”
When taking into consideration the basic outlines of all three versions, subtle differences flow with an astonishing lucidity. While contemplating the different usage of structure and color, the first version captures the eerie tragedy of T.S. Eliot’s poem with the dark twist portrayed by the mysterious color scheme, whereas, the other two versions bask in the common uniformity of black and white. The first poem conveys the additional touch of a personal experience. While considering the layout of the stanzas, all three versions are with equal proportionality but differ in the spacing, making the third version, pleasing to the eye. The first and second versions are divided in parts by Roman numerals whereas the last variation is assigned number lines and Roman numerals. When considering the mechanics of the sentences, the versions don’t differ except for one crucial line in the first version that states, “Mistah Kurz—he dead.” This is interesting because it conveys to the reader at first glance that Eliot wrote this poem in a possible relation to Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’, whereas,
the other variations don’t state the line, which leads to the question of where Eliot was motivated by Conrad or was it to convey an unconditional truth he held in his soul. Did the publisher due to a personal experience insert the first line? There would be in an infinite displacement between the reader and the poem, if the reader were not educated on the book, which can be quite misleading and can result in a different understanding. In the light of sharing personal opinion, a better grip on theme is conceived after reading Conrad’s novel, which makes the first poem an illuminating find. The possible main editorial reason for changing the layout would be a personal standpoint. This results in comprehending the authencity of each poem and which is the true replica of Eliot’s poem. When considering the benefits of having poetry listed on the internet, it creates access to the common man, which gives them an affordable look at the vast collection of the literary masterpieces. The main disadvantage would arise from taking away the splendid feeling of reading an actual book and also suspecting the authencity of the poem. If an interpretation of the poem were coupled with the poem, it would lead to a lack of mental activity and an inability to stretch the imagination. It could lead to a misleading ideal and the true essence of poetry is tarnished.
Henry Drummond once said, “We have no balance to weigh out another’s sin, and coarser and finer are but human words; but faults in the higher nature may be less venial than those in the lower.” Eliot’s poem creates an interesting intricate threadwork to Conrad’s novel, by touching the basic fundamentals of how loss of thought and imagination can result in an arid and soulless existence conformed to the basic definition of a standard uniformity. It proves the malevolence of becoming incapable of human feeling and unconscious thought, which relates to Dr. Frye’s understanding of any social value which can consume the inner depths of our spatial being, that will eventually result in the hollowness of our damned soul. It condemns one to, according to Eliot, “death’s other kingdom”, which could be assumed to being trapped in the unconscious confines of a spatial invisible prison of mind control where pure freedom will efface into a dark nothingness. The poem touches the ideal of how innovation can only arise from the analysis of inner thoughts and if taken away will result in our equivalence to a desert—unfertile and arid. The poem plays well on the theme of not initializing self-discovery and falling into the hands of a Faustian machination. As Cowper states,
In such a world; so thorny, and where none
Finds happiness unblighted; or, if found,
Without some thirsty sorrow at its side;
It seems the part of wisdom, and no sin
Against the law of love, to measure lots
With less distinguish’d than ourselves, that thus
We may with patience bear our moderate ills,
And sympathize with others suffering more.
Life after Death
When reading all three versions of T.S Elliot’s poem, “The Hollow Men”, one must notice that the words are the same but they are all in different contexts. One main difference I noticed while reading the poems is that they all have different paragraphs and breaks in the poem. The last poem tends to have more meaning towards its words and phrases, hence why there are numerous amount of words highlighted in it. Although each poem contains the same words, after reading all three of them and looking back, they all sound different out loud once they are read.
The version that I found the most easiest to read after having read all of them would be the last one. Having the important phrases and words highlighted made them easier to read and understand. Also, I found the last one was not as boring as the rest and that might have been caused by the use of different colors and how the author underlined the most important information. When comparing and contrasting all three versions of the poem, I noticed the layout was different amongst them all. T.S Elliot starts off with a basic and original poem dividing its stanzas with roman numerals and spacing where he pleases. He added in some italic phrases that he wanted to stand out and show some depth and meaning. When I began reading the second version, my first thought that came to mind after fully reading it was that it seemed as though he put spaces where he pleased and indented where he wanted to; Comparing that to the first one made it confusing trying to understand why he would do that. Again, this version also had its stanzas divided by roman numerals and had certain phrases in italics to show its meaning. When beginning to read the last version, one must also notice the use of roman numerals to differentiate between stanzas; however he also used numbers on the side which can also be found in plays in the last poem. When reading this, one can come to the conclusion that they made be reading a part of a play and the use of color made it easy to read. It did not give the poem that dark eerie feeling compared to the other versions.
In relation to the themes portrayed in these poems, the reader’s perspective may or may not change as they go along. What one has to realize is that the context of the poem are identical; however, the layout changes and the use of sentence structure changes. The poems in each versions talk about life after death and what happens, as well as feelings and emotions that are felt. After having read all three versions, the theme did not change; however, the feelings I got did change. Reading the first two versions were kind of dark and depressing because of the use of form and layout. However, when it got to the third version, I found it more enjoyable to read as well as eye catching. In today’s world, the internet is used for many reasons. Having poetry visible on the internet would benefit a number of individuals who may not have the time or the money to go out and buy a copy of a particular poem they wanted to read. A reader can never be sure of the authenticity of the poem because of where it is found and how it is written which can cause a number of people to misinterpret it and get the wrong meaning out of it in the end.
There are a number of advantages of having poetry available on the internet such as having more individuals reading wonderful pieces of literature in the privacy of their own home. Some individuals do not like the idea that they have to leave their house or go and borrow poetry from the library because either they do not have the time or they do not have the money. Having poetry on the internet would be beneficial towards those who cannot afford to purchase a copy, all they simply have to do is print it off the internet and they can have a hard copy of any poem of their liking. The disadvantage of having poetry available on the internet is that it takes away from the authors who have written them the feeling of having individuals buying their pieces of work. Also, authors like to have book signings when their books are published and if everyone simply goes on the internet and prints off their poem, then there are no one to purchase a book when it is first issued. In my opinion, I do not think there are any historical or editorial reasons for changing these poems; I felt that the reason the author changed the poem was so that he could have different emotions and feelings coming out of each of them separately.
Conrad’s Heart of Darkness talks about trying to find yourself and getting to know the true you. When comparing and contrasting that theme towards these poems, you find that they are portrayed in a number of ways. T.S Elliot talks about life after death in the above poems and he also talks about how these men should be remembered. He states, “This is the way the world ends / This is the way the world ends / This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper”. People think that when death comes it is this huge event that blows up when really it is a simple passing of one’s life. In relation to when Mr. Kurtz died, there was a huge event in his honor because he was such a popular man; however, when one looks at the way he dies, no one even knew when he died because he passed away ever so quietly. In the end, I felt that all three poems gave me different emotional feelings having read each one out loud one after another. Even though the words and phrases are identical, the meaning that you get after each one is amazingly diverse.
When analyzing and comparing the three versions of T.S. Elliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” it is important to understand that all three versions are identical in their content. The only thing that alters is how the poems are presented, its format. Nevertheless, a simple alteration in the format can have an affect on how the reader interprets the poem.
After reading all three versions of the poem I found the easiest to read was the last version. The final version provided explanation for the important phrases which were highlighted. This made the poem easier to interpret and understand. The first version provided a very strong color contrast which made the words stand out, but it also gives the reader a sinister feeling when reading the poem. This makes the effect of the poem on the reader that much more fulfilling. I believe that was T.S Elliot’s goal to have his poem leave an unnatural impression on the reader. The second version I found the hardest to read because there was no color, and no highlighted phrases, this version was the dullest. It was hard to focus while reading this version.
After reading the three versions of the poem .The readers understanding of the poem should not change, but their interpretation should. As mentioned before the first version of the poem leaves the reader with a sinister feeling, this is much different from the feeling that the other two versions leave the reader with. I believe that this version creates an impression in the reader’s mind that is hard to forget. It creates a feeling of desolateness, void and emptiness. It shows that he souls of the hallow men are empty and seeks comfort in attempting to understand their faith.
Poetry on the internet has many advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is the accessibility. Poetry on the internet allows those who do not have access to poetry at school or a library a chance to read poems that may interest them. However because a reader can never be certain of the authenticity of a poem on the internet this is a disadvantage. It therefore becomes the reader’s responsibility to be aware of this and take it into consideration when reading poems on the internet.
T.S. Elliot’s poem is beneficial to a student to study after Josephs Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” because parallels can be made between the poem and the novel. One of the themes in Heart of Darkness is the search for self. Elliot touches on this theme in the first stanza: “Shape without form, shade without color, / Paralyzed forced, gesture without motion.”
This quote address the point here is a search for self and the question of one’s existence is challenged.
A second parallel can be found in the phrase, “Those who have crossed / With direct eyes, to death’s other kingdom/ Remember us – if at all – not as lost / Violent souls but only / As the hollow men / the stuffed men.”
The one who has crossed to deaths other kingdom is Joseph’s Conrad’s character, Mr. Kurtz. Before he dies he realizes all that is wrong with imperialism. He realizes how “hollow” the idea of imperialism is. His eyes are finally opened to how foolishness of this quest. In his last minutes of life he looks at the people trying to bring civilization to Africa, and sees that they are just like the people they are trying to civilize. He sees that their minds are “stuffed” with the idea that they are better than the Africans. He realizes that the idea of imperialism is hollow and self serving.
Hollow Men……Fill them with Technology
The internet has made all types of information easier to get. People are able to get stats, charts, maps and even literature by just sitting at home. Though it gives us easier access to different types of literature, people are able to change the information to fit their perspective. In T.S Elliot’s The Hollow Men, it had gone through this phase and in the three poems, they show their differences.
From a reader’s perspective, the poems do not have many differences in their context. The only context distinction that can be made is that the second poem does not put in one line. The poems are different from each other because they have their own structure. In the first poem, it has colour in the background, giving it a better feel and more realistic. In the layout of the second poem, it feels like there are two people talking in it because it has some of the lines on both sides of the page. The third one was the hardest to read because it was very packed together and were unable to see any pauses or changing of stanzas. It was the easiest to analyze because it gives a description of each line, but the layout was very difficult and the actual reading was the most difficult of the three poems. For the meanings of the poem, there is a big difference in the second poem. In the second poem, he does not put in the line at the beginning “Mistah Kurtz is dead”, giving a different meaning to the poem. It shows that this author does not agree that the poem relates to Heart of Darkness, and the poem has its own individual meaning.
For many websites on the internet, it gives the web user a chance to put in their own view and change the information. It is most commonly used on Wikipedia, where people can put their own opinion instead of fact. The reader can find the authenticity of this poem by looking for many different types on all different websites, and look for the similarities and differences in each poem. Though changes can be made to literature on the internet, there are advantages to having it on the web. It is easier to access then getting it from a book or other source, and can give more background information on the subject. The disadvantages are that the poems can be changed to fit the owner’s personal views, giving it a bias opinion. In these poems, it does not give much about the history and only the last poem shows when it was written, which was 1925. The changes to the second poem could be that the author believed that the poem had to deal more with World War I than it did Heart of Darkness.
For Heart of Darkness, the poem relates to it because it has a lot of dark imagery compared with the book. It is important to study this poem because it shows us that the Hollow Men are the people who were in Africa. With Kurtz, he was empty because he could adapt to any situation and become good at it. With Africa, the possibilities were endless and this made Kurtz dreams bigger and more dangerous. When the poem talks about the shadow, it means that in all decisions and situations that people get into, they have a shadow over their decision, having ideas that may be good for them, but hurt more people then they help. In Heart of Darkness, the shadow was imperialism and the idea that it covered almost everything around them, and effected people’s decisions as well. Kurtz had this shadow, and he got too much into it he could not get out, and created his own heart of darkness.
Though these poems are not much different from each other, the internet has seemed to become the at-home library for most people. To be able to see the words written out and not in front of your face is a lot different then people think. Though it doesn’t change literature physically, it gives people a whole new mental view on poems and literature.
Each of the three versions of T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Man are exact in the way that the word content of the poem is identical, however the difference lies in the formation of the text. To begin with, the second poem is divided into different stanzas compared to the first and last version of the poem. There are breaks and indentations which stand out and provide the reader with a hint that the statement is of greater significance. In addition to the variations in the division of the poem, another difference is the font of the text. In each version, specific words or phrases are highlighted, coloured or italicized, again, to demonstrate the deeper importance. This holds true for all poems excluding the second, where some words are italicized yet none are underlined or coloured. Other than the word content of the poem, another similarity each version shares is the fact that there is no distinct rhyming scene. The odd line of the poem lines with another, however there is no specific format evident.
In my opinion, the easiest version of The Hollow Man to read is the last one. This is due to the fact that the hypertext allows the reader to click on the words or phrases they do not understand, and immediately directs them to a researched description or definition of that word or phrase. Therefore, this makes the content of the poem easier to follow along and ultimately easier to understand. Also, the highlighted words allows the reader to realize that they are significant to the poem, also allowing them to identify the underlying theme and messages.
The reader’s understanding of the theme of the poem does not change from any particular version, because the word content is identical. However, the way the poem is physically read is different because of the different stanza formations and font choices. Overall, though, the interpretation of the theme is ultimately the same, which is life after death. It is important to keep in mind that in most cases, the way a poem is interpreted differs from person to person, regardless of what type of poem it is. The interpretation is determined by one’s own experiences and circumstances.
A reader can not be perfectly sure of the authenticity of a poem on the internet, however it is their job to properly research their material and ensure they are reading content from reliable sources. By comparing different versions of the poem against one another, the reader can determine the similarities and differences and decide which would be closest to the original.
There are many advantages and disadvantages to having poetry on the internet. One of the main benefits to the reader is the convenience. Anyone is able to access the literature over the web, making it easier for them to read–which is very important to educating oneself. It is also free to read most content on the internet, which makes it available to a larger demographic compared to buying the poetry at book stores. The most significant disadvantage to having poetry on the internet is the lack of recognition that the poet might receive. Also, it makes it extremely easy for people to steal the poets ideas without referencing the source.
The most obvious historical reason for changing the poems is the development of the English language. Over the decades, words, sentence structure and punctuation have all evolved, forcing editors to re-format literature so that the modern populace can read it. The archetypal themes do not change no matter how much time has elapsed, however the format of the text does change.
T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Man is important to study after reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, because of the recurring themes of life after death, and the search for oneself. There is direct parallelism amongst the novel and poem because of the fear of the unknown. Kurtz represents ‘The Hollow Man’, because of all the evil deeds he has done during his lifetime, which he most eventually face. “The supplication of a dead man’s hand/Under the twinkling of a fading star.” (Eliot, III.5-6) At the time of his death, he experiences an epiphany when he realizes everything that he and imperialism have done. This is when he questions his existence, searching for answers to mythical questions such as ‘Who am I?’, and ‘What have I done?’. The fear of the unknown is life after death, because not even a universal genius like Kurtz can determine what is to come. “Perhaps in this is the whole difference; perhaps the wisdom and all truth, and all sincerity, are just compressed into an inappreciable moment in which we step over the threshold of the invisible.” (Conrad, 107)
Different Versions of the Truth
There has always been different versions for everything, and poems are not an exception. There are three different versions of T.S. Eliot’ poem, “The Hollow Men”, that are to be analyzed. Each version of the poem is slightly different from the other. The structure of the first version of the poem is separated into verses and five parts, very identical to the second version. The first version is posted on a site with a designed background and in yellow, making its authenticity questionable because of the attempt to beautify the background instead of leaving the focus on the poem itself distracts the reader. If the site where the poem is located is a reputable site such as ‘.edu’ or ‘.org’ or ‘.gov’, they contain information that is valid. Since the first site ends with a ‘.com’ with addition to its background, the site may contain false or unreliable material.
When compared to the following two versions, a few words are spelt differently in the first version such as: headpieces, rat’s and paralyzed. These words slightly change the meaning of the verses. The line, “Leaning together/ Headpieces filled with straw. Alas!” could mean that each hollow man is different from one another- having different kinds of straws into their different headpieces. The line, “Or rat’s feet over broken glass” can show the impact of the hollow men. If the impact and amount of pain inflicted to a singular rat walking over broken glass is small compared to a sea of rats walking over broken glass, the impact of hollow men in society would change; they would not affect only a few, but a lot of people because of their ideas and actions, thus putting danger on a majority of society rather than a minute minority. The spelling of “paralyzed” could differentiates the era and origin of the poem the ‘-se’ ending shows that it comes from the British edition and ‘-ze’ ending shows that it comes from the American edition.
The second version of the poem is found on a site that is reputable since it is a ‘.edu’ site. The structure of the poem is divided into verses and five parts, and the use of italics and indention adds to the effect and rhythm of the poem. The first line is in italics, “A penny for the Old Guy”. The focus of the poem may be in relation to Guy Fawkes, Britain’s most notorious traitor for conspiring to blow up the British parliament, as a hollow man. The double dashes on “Remember us-- if at all-- not as lost”, gives the reader the idea that there is a slightly long pause when reading the poem to add dramatic effect. The layout of the site puts emphasis on just the poem itself because it is on a white background in black colour. The big indention for the phrases, “For Thine is the Kingdom” and “Life is very long”, it gives an echo or whispering effect as the poem is read. The italics put more emphasis and meaning on these phrases, and the repetition of the phrase, “This is the way the world ends” gives off an eerie sensation a if death itself is speaking to the reader.
The hypertext version of the poem is also found on a reputable site since it is a ‘.org’ site. The structure of the poem is similar to a play break down, such that it contains line numbers. It is also divided into verses and five parts. Having the poem off to the left side, while the analysis of the text is on the right can be a little confusing or distracting since there are too many things happening at once in the page. But, the hypertext version gives a better understanding to the poem because of all the related material contained at the side. Also, when analyzing without the help of the hypertext, it is easier to use this version of the poem since you can break down the poem and analyze it line by line with easy reference using the line numbers. This version has both the reference to Mr. Kurtz, “Mistah Kurtz- he dead” and to Guy Fawkes, “A penny for the Old Guy” which shows that the poem would be continuously referenced to Heart of Darkness and Guy Fawkes information for analysis.
The presence of poetry on different sites brings it honour to literature and to its poets. The advantages it brings are easy access to different works in literature and easy search for relating material which could be appealing to many computer users, especially to teens. The disadvantages however, are the improperly used poetry since it is not cited, or unreliable sources for the poetry which could give false information as well as the dependency of people on the internet- that they would only search for referencing material on the web instead of other great sources such as books. Often, students could become too dependent on the web that they forget to think for themselves. They would cut their way and rob themselves from developing their own mind by looking up already posted analysis.
The relation of T.S. Eliot’s poem to Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is evident because of the characters that are present in the novel. The hollow men are represented in the novel as Mr. Kurtz who was filled with the heart of darkness in Africa. Lines 57-60, talk about journeying with uncertainty and blindly that could be found as well in the novel. Kurtz’ painting of the blindfolded woman in the darkness imply that he sees the truth: the corruption of the Europeans in Africa. In the poem, lines 31-35 talk about disguising using animal skins and behaving like the wind- a reference on wanting to go tribal which relates to Kurtz becoming tribal. Based on his choices, he is led into the darkness, bringing out his shadow persona. In the poem, lines 72-90 talk about how everything is separated by choice and it is only up to the person whether to choose to be in the light or become the shadow. Line 97-98 are the last lines of the poem which best represents Mr. Kurtz, “This is the way the world ends/ Not with a bang but a whimper”. Before death, it is not grand nor spectacular- it is an ugly cry of realization of the wrongdoings that have been done upon the existence in one’s life.
The understanding of the poem as a whole does not differ in the different versions T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Man”. The slight differences does not affect the universal truth, theme and message that the poet tries to impose on its readers, and in the end, that is the most important thing: that the poet is able to give an overall moral lesson that has made impact into the lives of his readers after reading their powerful poems as a whole that would lead to a better society.
Mistah Kurz - he dead!!
After reading the three different versions of T.S Elliot’s poem, “The Hollow Men”, I found that all the poems are the same when trying to get the messages across to the following audience. The only main difference is that the way their written isn’t the same because the first poem has a purple backround with yellow font meanwhile the second is broken in different paragraphs with a plain white backround and outlines of the poem are also different, meanwhile the last one was the same but had hyperlinks attached to words for viewers who didn’t understand a certain words or phrases within the poem. However even though the poem is quiet the same in text the formatting is different and that’ll give the reader a different impression on the poem being read to them.
Reading the first poem I didn’t understanding anything then after reading the second poem I was starting to get a sort of better understanding of what Elliot was trying to get across within “The Hollow Men”. Once I read the last poem I then finally understood the context and meaning of the poem. Due to the use hypertexts on the words I didn’t understand gave me a total clear understanding of the poem. “Hypertext most often refers to text on a computer that will lead the user to other, related information on demand.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext) By using hypertext it lead me to related articles that had a dynamic organization of words and phrases within the poem and there the definition appeared, I read and then after understood. Depending on the particular version the poem is written in does surely affect and change the readers understanding of the theme. With the first one I didn’t understand why the colour purple and yellow were used because purple represents “royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication and yellow represents “happiness”. (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html) The words being used were dark and evil to the theme of the poem, why couldn’t the colours just be black and gery? That’s how one can get there interpretation of the poem mixed up due the different format used within literature such as the colour and layout.
Being sure to the authenticity of the poem being displayed on the internet, there are no forms of citation from any publisher, and therefore these three poems could be false entirely. With the internet, it is not always very clear, and sometimes we must do some research to be more accurate. It has just become easier and more convenient to use the internet rather than going to the library and checking out a book itself. Anyone can post a poem called “The Hallow Man” and claim to have written the official hallow man poem. The benefit of using the internet to find poems is that you’re sure to find the poem you’re looking for no matter what but the only disadvantage is that anyone can write about anything by changing the format, context, and theme. With alteration it’ll cause the reader to get false and inaccurate information making it useless. Even the if poem is the same everyone gets a different interpretation of the poem it’s just the way certain people see the symbols and themes and what we take into consideration is what we make of the poem itself.
The meaning of Eliot’s poem can change based on what the reader comes to understand. By reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness the reader can see the reference and connection to the poem with the line “Mistah Kurtz – he dead” (Hypertext Version). It is an allusion, which gives the reader the understanding of what Eliot is trying to get across. In “The Hollow Men” it does not display the quote which loses the connection to Heart of Darkness and without this connection the reader cannot fully understand the concept of hollow men. If one does not fully discover itself then that person sadly becomes a hollow man just like Mr. Kurtz became. “"The Hollow Men" is essentially a poem of emptiness, Eliot's exploration of the state of his own soul as one of many modern souls suffering the same affliction. It is an emptiness caused by the condition of the modern world, a modern world in which men live only for themselves, failing to choose between good and evil.” This being stated in the last poems conclusion tell us that Conards, “The Heart of Darkness” is an exploration for Marlow into Mr. Kurtz mind and when he finds out the evil the man lives for he sees the total emptiness that’ll become of the very being he is if Marlow should choose good over evil himself. It’s pretty much making the good or bad choices in life and if you choose bad then you’ll become empty a “Hollow man” or if you choose the good then you’ll become the “Stuffed man”.
Three of a Kind...
The three versions of T.S Elliot’s “The Hollow Men” all have the same meaning, but also have their own distinguishing aspects. The poems are all attempting to convey the same message, but through the way they are presented make them unique.
Upon reading the three poems, it is right to assume that all three of them have the concept. The only differences are the breaks in the paragraphs. The first two poems have the same breaks, while the third is different. These changes provide for a different feel of the poems. The first two seem to flow better while the third is a bit clustered.
Although the poems are essentially the same, some are easier to read than others. The last version would clearly be the easiest to read because of the explanations which accompany it. The second version of the poem is the most difficult to read because of its bland layout and boring font. A reader may not fully understand and enjoy the poem because of its appearance. The first version of the poem is the most exciting to read on account of the exciting font used and the background colour. The layout of this version sets up an eerie and menacing feel. To stimulate all of the senses, some background music may have created an even better mood.
The understanding of the theme in each poem does not change, but the clearness of the theme in each poem may. The third poem evidently may be the easiest to understand because of the explanations which are provided. The third poem also provides clarification for concepts which may have been confusing in the previous two poems. With the privilege of having three poems to read, the theme may be discovered in one of the ladder poems as it may be missed or misinterpreted at first. The mood which is set by the layout may also contribute to the understanding of the theme. All in all, the theme does not change, but the way it is interpreted may be.
The internet seems to be never-ending, which is why it is so difficult to decipher from what is legitimate and what is not. It is hard to tell what is authentic, but usually sites which are authored are genuine. A way to be sure is also find the original copy of the poem from a book and compare them. The method of using a published copy of the poem may also assist in figuring out who the real author is, if someone attempted to pass the work for their own. It is very difficult to tell what is authentic and what is not, but one must use their judgment and follow that.
There are several advantages and disadvantages for having poetry on the internet. It is without a doubt the easiest way to find a poem quickly and without any hassle. People tend to avoid going to the library, so the internet is the next best thing. Access to a library may possibly also be an issue, which is why the internet is easy. The disadvantages of having poetry on the internet may outweigh the advantages. The poetry on the internet has a greater chance of not being authentic. The possibility of any random person writing the poem is very high. Poetry on the internet is also related to downloading music, as the authors and artists do not benefit from sales. Although it is convenient to have poetry on the internet, it may not be beneficial in the long run.
This poem is a great piece of literature which contrasts “Heart of Darkness” very well. The themes which are presented in the poem are directly related to those presented in the novel. Within the first few lines of Elliot’s poem, similarities can be seen. The lines “We are the hollow men/ We are the stuffed men/ Leaning together / Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!” (1-4). This quote demonstrates the lack of humanity present in the men on the ship to Africa. No one knows who they are nor does anyone care. All of these men live on greed, and all they want is ivory. There is no humanity in these men, which is why they are empty. Another theme present is that of going into the dark of Africa. “The eyes are not here/ There are no eyes here/ In this valley of dying stars/In this hollow valley” (51-55). This demonstrates what Marlow felt when he first reached Africa. A place where there is no humanity, and a dark hole. It is very intimidating as it is a place which he is not used to. Going into a place like Africa would be certain death for anyone. Once someone goes to Africa they are never the same. The themes present in the poem are so closely related to “Heat of Darkness” that it makes the concepts much easier to understand.
“The Hollow Men” is a great poem as it speaks about humanity and the long journey to death. Reading this poem makes it much easier to understand the novel “Heart of Darkness”, as well as teaching readers how the set up and layout of a poem can change the mood. Poetry is a great form of art which is used to help readers understand their own life. This poem is quite significant because it can teach the reader how not to lose their humanity and end up like a hollow man.
The Words of T.S. Eliot
T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" is a poem about the human soul and what gives men life and meaning. It describes the hollowness and emptiness that is contained within men lacking a spiritual centre which provides people with a reason to live as human beings.
There are slight differences between each version of the poem. All versions are worded the same but the layout of the poems differ. A very small difference is also the word “with” that is only in the last sentence of the first version, but the major difference would be the purple background compared to the plain white backgrounds among the versions. Surprisingly, the coloured background makes a difference in the way I read and understand each version despite the fact that the same information is contained within them.
For me the easiest version to read would be the first one. It had taken me a longer while to develop an illustration in my mind of what I was reading when it came to the second and third version, but I wasn’t exactly sure why. I considered the differences and observed the structure of the three. I chose to relate the songs admired and liked by today’s teenagers and picked the song “No One” by Alicia Keys and realized its’ form is similar to that of “The Hollow Men” version one. I figured the small size and separation of the stanzas made the poem easier to read in that it helped the reader to think slowly about the theme long with what’s being read and the separating stanzas give the reader time to develop a picture and add to it as they read through the poem.
Although the authenticity of poems on the internet is not very easy to ensure, having poems on the internet allows them to be easily accessible seeing that the web is regularly used by people of all ages. Poems are reminders of the stories and values of childhood days in the rhythm they provide and the subjects spoken of. The disadvantages of having poetry on the internet would be the possibility of having poetry duplicated and manipulated without the consent of the writer.
The similarities between Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men” are numerous seeing that both speak about the hollow core of people just like Kurtz. The dark imagery within each stanza and the depth in explaining them is another similarity between the two. Also there were a small amount of words that I needed to look up in order to understand the ending of the poem which is another similarity to the dense book of Heart of Darkness. I found that reading this poem after “Heart of Darkness” allowed me to focus on the important theme of self discovery in the book. Heart of Darkness is a dense text with somewhat an overwhelming use of words and a different way of explaining than I am use to. By reading this poem the important theme of the entire novel is drawn out for the reader to have an easier time understanding what it is to be a hollow human being.
Poetry is the fundamental language of humanity. Recently, humanity’s use of technology has allowed people to further explore the art that makes up who they are. T.S. Eliot is a great poet, or at least has great poetic possibilities. His poem “The Hollow Men”, along with his other works, is revered by many academic minds to be some of the most significant works of the modernist era.
The three versions of Eliot’s poem on the internet have very subtle similarities and differences. If the layout and coloring of the webpage’s is taken into consideration there is varying differences. The version of the poem from “www.blight.com” (version 1) is typed using yellow front on a purple background; at first this gives an impression of amateurism. The other two taken from “www.columbia.edu” (version 2) and “www.aduni.org” (version 3) give the notion of being more academic based on the appearance and regardless of the actual validity of the source. This through is especially true for the hypertext version because it contains footnotes from actual literary journals and essays. Firstly, in version 1 the name of Joseph Conrad’s character Kurtz is spelled “Kurz” which is an obvious mistake. This takes away from one of the main inspirations of the poem, and would not allow a new reader to discover the true meaning of the epigraph. There are also differences in the use of grammar between the poems. In part one of versions 2 and 3 the word paralyzed is spelled “Paralysed”, unlike version 1 which spells the word the correct way. This is a couple of possibilities for this difference, it could be an outdated spelling of the word or perhaps it was Eliot’s intention to spell the word that way. Version 3 is the hardest version to read, this is because the added side notes distract the reader from the rhythm and feel that the poem emits. Version 2 is perhaps the easiest of the poems to read. Black font is clearly placed on a white background, which is done in a style that looks similar to that of a typewriter, which is possibly what Eliot used to write the poem. In this aesthetical sense, it gives the poem an aura of authenticity. Version 2 employs the use of indentation in all five parts but especially in part V. The use of indentation here solidifies the fact that Eliot has borrowed this from the Lord’s Prayer. The main difference is that version 3, the hypertext, allows the reader to understand Eliot’s use of allusions, unlike the other two that leave that up to the reader. The original skeleton of the poem is present in all three versions thus the meaning remains for those who wish to perform a close reading.
Version 3 or the hypertext version of the poem allows more insight into the theme of the poem because it provides the author with information about Eliot’s allusion. It is difficult to ensure the authenticity of anything kind of information on the internet. In the case that an academic organization or highly respected website was to host the poems then there is usually a through publishing technique that is used. It is when average citizen begins a website to post artistic things there becomes a collage of information which should not be taken as a primary source.
The most important advantage of poetry on the internet is that is creates a readily available source of art that can be accessed 24/7. Additionally, many people would argue that art is one of the fundamental aspects of humanity. Through examination of the three different versions of “The Hollow Men” one aspect of the internet can be seen. This is especially evident when the word “paralyzed” occurs in the poems. Poetry often employs the use of unconventional grammar and style, these artists attributes do not coincide with today’s modern dictionary and word processing programs. It is possible in version 1 that the host of the webpage checked their document with a word processing program and that is why the word is spelled correctly according to the modern day use of the English language. The other two versions are possibly more accurate because they contain the different spelling of the word, which is what Eliot originally intended. That is one of the problems with poetry on the internet; there is a possibility that the author’s original intention may be lost to word processing. Secondly, another aspect of poetry on the internet is that it abolishes the separation of high and low culture. Art is considered by many old fashioned critics to be a very high form of culture, and once it is placed on the internet its high rank it brought even to that of cheap pharmaceutical advertisements that appear on the same webpage. Then there becomes a strange kind of Andy Warhol society, where pop culture and high culture are constantly colliding to create a mish mash of information. It then becomes the reader’s responsibility to distinguish the important from the unimportant.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is one of the main influences on Eliot’s poem. Western’s tend to see Hollowness as some kind of void of spirituality. The poem gives off the theme that Europeans, or the English, have stripped religion of its meaning and used it to their own advantage. A theme that is reoccurring in Heart of Darkness. The line in which Eliot writes “gathered on a beach of the timid river” as a reference to Dante’s Inferno and the idea of limbo and the inability to cross into hell. This goes along with the inability of Europe to accept their immoral ways and cross the threshold into a meaningless universe. Possibly Eliot’s reading of Heart of Darkness reminded him of the injustices that he faced in the western world alone. Art and the internet have a number of possible relationships that will hopefully lead to a major shift in the way we look at art.
Poetry is the fundamental language of humanity. Recently, humanity’s use of technology has allowed people to further explore the art that makes up who they are. T.S. Eliot is a great poet, or at least has great poetic possibilities. His poem “The Hollow Men”, along with his other works, is revered by many academic minds to be some of the most significant works of the modernist era.
The three versions of Eliot’s poem on the internet have very subtle similarities and differences. If the layout and coloring of the webpage’s is taken into consideration there is varying differences. The version of the poem from “www.blight.com” (version 1) is typed using yellow front on a purple background; at first this gives an impression of amateurism. The other two taken from “www.columbia.edu” (version 2) and “www.aduni.org” (version 3) give the notion of being more academic based on the appearance and regardless of the actual validity of the source. This through is especially true for the hypertext version because it contains footnotes from actual literary journals and essays. Firstly, in version 1 the name of Joseph Conrad’s character Kurtz is spelled “Kurz” which is an obvious mistake. This takes away from one of the main inspirations of the poem, and would not allow a new reader to discover the true meaning of the epigraph. There are also differences in the use of grammar between the poems. In part one of versions 2 and 3 the word paralyzed is spelled “Paralysed”, unlike version 1 which spells the word the correct way. This is a couple of possibilities for this difference, it could be an outdated spelling of the word or perhaps it was Eliot’s intention to spell the word that way. Version 3 is the hardest version to read, this is because the added side notes distract the reader from the rhythm and feel that the poem emits. Version 2 is perhaps the easiest of the poems to read. Black font is clearly placed on a white background, which is done in a style that looks similar to that of a typewriter, which is possibly what Eliot used to write the poem. In this aesthetical sense, it gives the poem an aura of authenticity. Version 2 employs the use of indentation in all five parts but especially in part V. The use of indentation here solidifies the fact that Eliot has borrowed this from the Lord’s Prayer. The main difference is that version 3, the hypertext, allows the reader to understand Eliot’s use of allusions, unlike the other two that leave that up to the reader. The original skeleton of the poem is present in all three versions thus the meaning remains for those who wish to perform a close reading.
Version 3 or the hypertext version of the poem allows more insight into the theme of the poem because it provides the author with information about Eliot’s allusion. It is difficult to ensure the authenticity of anything kind of information on the internet. In the case that an academic organization or highly respected website was to host the poems then there is usually a through publishing technique that is used. It is when average citizen begins a website to post artistic things there becomes a collage of information which should not be taken as a primary source.
The most important advantage of poetry on the internet is that is creates a readily available source of art that can be accessed 24/7. Additionally, many people would argue that art is one of the fundamental aspects of humanity. Through examination of the three different versions of “The Hollow Men” one aspect of the internet can be seen. This is especially evident when the word “paralyzed” occurs in the poems. Poetry often employs the use of unconventional grammar and style, these artists attributes do not coincide with today’s modern dictionary and word processing programs. It is possible in version 1 that the host of the webpage checked their document with a word processing program and that is why the word is spelled correctly according to the modern day use of the English language. The other two versions are possibly more accurate because they contain the different spelling of the word, which is what Eliot originally intended. That is one of the problems with poetry on the internet; there is a possibility that the author’s original intention may be lost to word processing. Secondly, another aspect of poetry on the internet is that it abolishes the separation of high and low culture. Art is considered by many old fashioned critics to be a very high form of culture, and once it is placed on the internet its high rank it brought even to that of cheap pharmaceutical advertisements that appear on the same webpage. Then there becomes a strange kind of Andy Warhol society, where pop culture and high culture are constantly colliding to create a mish mash of information. It then becomes the reader’s responsibility to distinguish the important from the unimportant.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is one of the main influences on Eliot’s poem. Western’s tend to see Hollowness as some kind of void of spirituality. The poem gives off the theme that Europeans, or the English, have stripped religion of its meaning and used it to their own advantage. A theme that is reoccurring in Heart of Darkness. The line in which Eliot writes “gathered on a beach of the timid river” as a reference to Dante’s Inferno and the idea of limbo and the inability to cross into hell. This goes along with the inability of Europe to accept their immoral ways and cross the threshold into a meaningless universe. Possibly Eliot’s reading of Heart of Darkness reminded him of the injustices that he faced in the western world alone. Art and the internet have a number of possible relationships that will hopefully lead to a major shift in the way we look at art.
While reading and analyzing these three versions of the same poem, the reader would notice that the three poems are very much the same, except it is presented in a different format or a different context. By reading the different versions of the poem, it would help the reader understand the poem from different dimensions and angles, but the plots of the poem remain the same.
There are not many differences between the three versions of the poem, the only thing that makes the poem’s seem different are its structure and the way they are being presented. When I read the first poem, I hardly had a clue of its meaning. I understood only a small part of it. But as I gradually started reading the second and the third version, my understanding of the poem became clearer with each time. Once I read the third version of the poem, I can say that I understand it because the third version has an analysis of the text and it gives the reader a thorough understanding of the context and the meaning of the poem.
I think that poems on the internet are a great way for a person who enjoys reading to browse through the internet and find different works of different poets and they can appreciate them. Trying to be sure of the authenticity of a poem would not always be clear as sometimes there are no citations. One can use the internet in different ways to find out the true authenticity of that poem. I think that there are many advantages and disadvantages to having poetry being published over the internet. The main advantage I can think of is that poetry is freely available over the internet and these works can be appreciated by different people who enjoy reading. The biggest disadvantage to having poetry being published over the internet is that the high school students these days always look them up when they need to complete and assignment and they start using the ideas that the poet conveys, and then the students get used to just elaborating the poets ideas and they stop thinking for themselves which makes it harder in life later on.
This poem “The hollow men” has been inspired by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness in a huge way. The both are similar in their ways as they relate to Kurtz as being the hollow man without a soul. They both explain their works with the help of dark imagery. Reading this poem makes it much easier for me to understand Heart Of Darkness to a much further extent because both these works of literature talk about humanity and death and they both refer to the dark places in life. A study of this poem gives the reader a thorough insight of the Heart of Darkness.
ALL YOUR MANS ARE HOLLOW TO US
T.S. Elliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” can be found on many websites on the internet in similar versions, having only omitted few words. The original meaning, context, and essence the poem inherently carries are still there, however certain key elements of the presentation of it on the internet may compromise its credibility, worth, and authenticity. The internet, as discussed in previous blogs is a world of free information which anyone can say and present just about anything on. This can however, lead to some negative circumstances, such as researching and learning of facts.
Presentation of each poem does effect to some extent how the reader interprets the piece. A good, readable layout is key for immersion, especially when presenting stories and poems on the internet. A white background with black font does not necessarily translate well on a computer screen as it does for a book, as the former is harder on the eyes. The second poem is not presented as pleasantly as the first. The third poem, while fairly basic in layout, has a lot of interesting and informative facts on several key lines of “The Hollow Men”, which help the reader analyze and understand the poem better. Ultimately, the presentation of the poem, while it affects the way the poem reads, does not change what the reader takes from the poem.
It does become harder, however, to find what poem is genuine to the original created by Elliot. There are several ways to determine this. If a student has access to a library they may check a trusted published book of poems that contain “The Hollow Men” to see if the one they find on the internet matches with what’s printed. That’s not to say certain websites are not trustworthy; on the contrary there are many reputable websites that actually put facts on the internet, not “factoids” (as present Wikipedia, more specifically any controversial subject ever, past or present, ever, ever). It comes down to what is generally considered to be a reputable source. An English professor’s homepage on the University of Colombia’s website is far more reputable than an undergraduate 20-something who has his own website set up on his Linux box in his parent’s basement. It’s important to understand, for the purpose of research, as well as collecting true information, what constitutes a reputable source, and this is more necessary than ever when on the internet.
Joseph Conrad’s symbolic excursion Heart of Darkness influenced T.S. Elliot’s poem, as clear in the first line of it (absent from the second poem, however). There are many references to Kurtz in the poem, such as lines 13-15, which directly reference the final moment of Kurtz’s realization of his “heart of immense darkness”. The entire poem can in fact also be connected to Conrad’s novella; Heart of Darkness is filled with “hollow men… stuffed men”. The Hollow Men is a good poem to study after reading the book, as it contains many parallels with it, and it’s a good way for students to enhance their analytical reading skills, by making the connections from the poem to the book.
Conrad’s book Heart of Darkness and Elliot’s The Hollow Men are both excellent pieces of literature an aspiring English student will no doubt come across during their study. Both carry excellent examples of symbolism, metaphor, allusion, reference, and social commentary. It’s a good idea to introduce both works to only more advanced students, as their true, underlying meanings may fly directly over their heads. Both are wonderfully complex in their writing, and both have the ability to reveal through complex use of description and metaphor. It even took me a while to figure out what both works meant, too.
Many different versions of T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men can be found on the internet from different websites. These different versions slightly vary in the use of words and punctuation; however they remain, in essence, the same. The theme of The Hollow Men as well as the general use of wording in it contributes largely to the fact that the poem remains the same throughout different versions of it. The readability of this poem also varies slightly through the different versions. The hypertext version of the poem provides hyperlinks to pieces of information about specific parts in the poem. This version can be more beneficial to a student, or any individual who wants to understand the meaning behind certain words in the poem. “The Hollow Men” is written partly in italics, used to evoke different tones and emotions in the poem.
Through the three different versions of Eliot’s The Hollow Men, the major theme and plot of this poem remain the same. The understanding of this poem does not change between the different versions of it. The hypertext version may allow readers to draw conclusions about the poem easier than others, but the general theme that is understood will remain the same. The usage of italics in “The Hollow Men” can also assist the reader in terms of understanding the stressed elements of this poem, which could lead to a slightly different understanding of the major theme. Overall, the understanding of the theme in The Hollow Men remains unchanged.
Many pieces of work written on the internet can be incorrect or false altogether. To determine if an internet article or written piece is legitimate can be a difficult process. Factors that should be considered when determining the validity of a particular piece of writing include checking the URL. If an internet address ends with .edu or .org, it is often considered to be more credible than a website ending in .com. Reading articles written by well-known and credible authors is another way to determine if an article is authentic.
Reading poetry on the internet is a different experience than reading poetry from a sheet of paper. The environment that the internet accompanies is a completely different atmosphere than that of a living room or a bed. There are certain advantages and disadvantages to both reading poetry online and from a book. Poetry is both convenient and accessible over the internet, and can be used as a quick solution to a person’s poetic needs. The nature of reading text from a lit computer screen is different, and often more uncomfortable than reading text from an armchair by the fireplace. The issue of validity also arises in this situation, whereas the internet may carry unauthentic works. A person has a better chance of obtaining authentic writing when reading it from a published book.
Certain versions of T.S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men have been changed due to editorial reasons. The hypertext version of the poem may have been edited to add more information the hyperlinks found in the poem. Changes to vocabulary could have been made in order to evoke more meaning to a modern audience. These poems have been edited to form the poem around more informational tools and the understanding of a modern audience.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness involved many characters that could be considered “Hollow Men”. Studying Eliot’s The Hollow Men helps relate back to Conrad’s characters, many of which lacked substance, or emotion. The poem helps understand the reality of a hollow person, who lacks any emotions or purpose in life.
The internet has vast amounts of information on just about anything that is worth writing about or creating. The internet includes many different networks; whether the networking information has to deal with education, politics, business, etc. Although the information found on the internet is a convenience how are we supposed to know which information is valid or spam. Those are the advantages and disadvantages of posting information on the internet. When a student is looking for information on any type of literature founded on the internet he/she must commit to the extra research and time in finding legitimate resources for their referencing. Usually national news, post-secondary and governmental internet sites have qualified publishers and editors to help users recognize that the source is authentic.
The three sources of the poem “The Hollow Men” may look similar to the eye that simply scans through it but to the eye that that takes careful notice on the three sources he/she will find that there indeed are differences in each of the three. Spacing is the most noticeable featured difference in all three versions. In the version The Hollow Men - http://www.blight.com/~sparkle/poems/hollow.html (1) there is spacing in between sentences and chapters, there are only indents in the 5th chapter and the title of the poem and chapters have all been centered in the page. In the version The Hollow Men - http://www.columbia.edu/itc/tc/scfu4016/hollow.html (2) there is spacing between sentences and chapters, there are many indents in each of the chapters and all of the chapters have been centered within the text of the poem. In the version The Hollow Men - http://www.aduni.org/~heather/occs/honors/Poem.htm (3) there is no spacing between sentences and chapters making it hard to read and seems disorganized, there are no indents in any of the chapters and nothing has been centered; all the text has been pushed to the right.
Perhaps the reason for the difference in spacing has to deal with the change in technology. Version (3) is a hypertext where the importance is that some of the texts in the poem are linked into other reader’s essays not whoever wants to read the poem. Version (1) looks as if a student has copied the poem from some other source and fixed it up to his/her own organization (hint: there is a period after the sentence “In our dry cellar”, spell check perhaps, and the colour scheme, purple and yellow/orange). Version (2) looks the most authentic because paralysed is spelt wrong, perhaps T.S. Eliot did it on purpose for his own expression, and there is no title “Mistah Kurtz (or Kurz) – he dead” which makes the other two versions seem like they were projects which were assigned to relate any written poem to the novel Heart of Darkness. Though, whoever originally related T.S. Eliot’s poem to the novel Heart of Darkness did indeed find a good match with all the dark symmetry and spiritual essence identified in the poem.
The reader’s understanding of the theme of the poem does not change from all the particular differences that can be found in each of the three version’s appearance because the theme is brought up within the reader’s mind of their own understanding, their own educated imagination, through the text.
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