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TS Eliot: Into 'The Waste Land'

An exploration of TS Eliot's The Waste Land, in its centenary year, that for the first time uncovers the personal story behind Eliot's creation of his celebrated poem.

2022 marks the centenary of one of the defining poems of the 20th century, The Waste Land. TS Eliot's groundbreaking work first exploded into the world on 15 October 1922 and has continued to resonate with successive generations.

For decades, Eliot actively discouraged biographical interpretations of his work, developing an ‘impersonal theory’ of poetry in which the private life of a poet was deemed irrelevant. Instead, numerous scholars have been guided by Eliot's own seven pages of footnotes to the poem.

But in 2020, there were dramatic new revelations that demonstrated how, behind Eliot's mask, there was a much more personal story to be found within The Waste Land – which can now at last be explored.

3 months left to watch

1 hour, 19 minutes

Last on

Wed 9 Nov 2022 02:20
±«Óãtv Two

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:20

    Richard Wagner

    Tristan and Isolde, Act 3 - Liebestod

    Singer: Birgit Nilsson. Orchestra: Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele. Conductor: Karl Böhm.
  • 01:12

    Max Richter

    Path 5

Credits

Director Susanna White
Producer Rosie Alison
Editor Paul Binns
Executive Producer Nicolas Kent
Production Company Oxford Films

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