Home : The Waste Land : Study Guide

The Waste Land Study Guide

by T.S. Eliot

The Waste Land study guide contains a biography of T.S. Eliot, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

The poem begins with a section entitled "The Burial of the Dead." In it, the narrator -- perhaps a representation of Eliot himself -- describes the seasons. Spring brings "memory and desire," and so the narrator's memory drifts back to times in Munich, to childhood sled rides, and to a possible romance with a "hyacinth girl." The memories only go so far, however. The narrator is now surrounded by a desolate land full of "stony rubbish."

He remembers a fortune-teller named Madame Sosostris who said he was "the drowned Phoenician Sailor" and that he should "fear death by water." Next he finds himself on London Bridge, surrounded by a crowd of people. He spots a friend of his from wartime, and calls out to him.

The next section, "A Game of…

Read the full The Waste Land Summary

• The Waste Land Summary
• About The Waste Land
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Summary and Analysis of Section I: "The Burial of the Dead"
• Summary and Analysis of Section II: "A Game of Chess"
• Summary and Analysis of Section III: "The Fire Sermon"
• Summary and Analysis of Section IV: “Death by Water” and “What the Thunder Said”
• "The Waste Land" and the Holy Grail
• Related Links on The Waste Land
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• The Waste Land: Major Themes
• The Waste Land: Essays
• The Waste Land: E-Text
• The Waste Land: Questions
• The Waste Land: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• T.S. Eliot: Biography