Gerontion Theme
T.S. Eliot’s poem “Gerontion” was published for first time in 1920 in the collection “Collected poems”. In many of his works, Eliot used cross-references from other writers and this is what he used in the poem “Gerontion” as well. The author uses in the epigraph words of the great Shakespeare from the work “Measure for measure”. For some, “Gerontion” is an allegorical poem that is based solely on the Shakespeare’s “Measure for measure”. The main theme in the poem is the life of the protagonist, which has gone through the years at a very fast pace, like a dream:
“Thou hast nor youth nor age
But as it were and after dinner sleep
Dreaming of both.” The poem is a dramatic monologue, through which the protagonist is presented to the reader. The
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His home is described as a “decayed house”, which is actually the home of his soul and his body. His thoughts about the war and the decayed home do not only symbolize the approaching death but also that the only salvation for the character is the death and the rebirth. That is why Jesus Christ, his mission on the earth and his resurrection are mentioned in the poem.
“In the juvescence of the year
Came Christ the tiger” Gerontion talks about the experience he has gained through the years and he talks with a typical for old man wisdom. He talks about things that should exist and things that should not. The lesson about fear and courage that we need to understand is presented in the poem. The emptiness of the atmosphere after the World War 1, the war memories and the approaching death are all torturing Gerontion’s soul and do not allow him to rest undisturbed. He hopes that soon he will go to the place that he belongs – close to God, where the soul is pure and innocent, where the physical is not important. The poem itself is a reflection of the spirit of the society after the World War 1. The poem presents the downfall of the value system of the society as well, not only the idea of life and death. The character describes people as empty, soulless and senseless creatures, seeking only for material
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