What is the significance of European literature and culture in T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land? Why does Eliot draw parallels with other writers and thinkers?

You might check this out,

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-waste-land-post-world-war-europe-4003431.html?cat=37

This question is much deeper than just a short answer normally put in this forum. I suggest that you either use the resources of GradeSaver about this poem, or google the poem and find information on references such as Shmoop or even Yahoo answers. This poem is so intricate, you could write a book about this topic. (People already have)