Preludes Analysis II

P. Yoon
February 04, 2009
Preludes Analysis

Death without Light

"Preludes" is a poem written by T. S. Eliot in 1917. A prelude is "an introductory performance, event, or action preceding a more important one." The speaker uses this poem as a prelude for city dwellers. He is introducing a man named Jesus Christ to a city that refuses to acknowledge God. Even though he's rejected, Christ is always present as "His soul stretched tight across the skies." Even though he's humiliated and ignored, his grace and love "fades behind a city block." Christ and his love are infinite. The speaker is awed that there is a merciful and "infinitely gentle" God.

The speaker depicts a city in Preludes. From afar, the city looks like a peaceful place. In the first three lines, tranquil imagery is depicted as the "winter evening settles down" and there is the "smell of steaks in passageways." But as the reader soon learns, the city is in a state of decay. The city is full of "grimy scraps," "withered leaves," "newspapers," "broken blinds," "chimneypots," and "dingy shades." The city is also loud and chaotic. The showers "beat / On broken blinds and chimney pots," a horse "steams and stamps," and footsteps are made by "muddy feet." This city has no tranquility or peace.

The people of this city are decaying too. When the sun comes up, there's a "faint stale smells of beer." People are drinking at night and to gain energy, they "press / To early coffee-stands." They try to regain their energy from last night through caffeine. Because of sin, the people become hollow. Their faults consume and destroy their souls. They pretend to look okay physically, but inside they are dying. Thus, the speaker compares them to "other masquerades." Hollow, they have nothing inside of their lives. The city population is symbolized through a prostitute in stanza III. This woman dozes off while she waits for her clients. Through strong word choice, the speaker says her "soul was constituted" with "thousand sordid images." Her job becomes a part of her soul while her sins are stitched and nailed onto her heart. This prostitute is poor as she has "papers" curled on her hair. She also "clasped the yellow soles of feet / In the palm of both soiled hands." Her whole body is in a state of decay. As yellow represents jealousy and deceit, this woman is living a fruitless life. She has no purpose or meaning. In the Middle Ages, actors who died wore yellow costumes. This woman is dying. No one will ever accept or love her as "the street hardly understands."

Throughout Preludes, the speaker claims that Christ is always present. Jesus's love and mercy are symbolized through light in stanza II, and III. He's present as "morning comes to consciousness" and while light shines through as the "dingy shades" are raised in "a thousand furnished rooms." In stanza III, Christ is present when the "light crept up between the shutters" of the prostitute's home. In all three situations, Jesus is rejected. As the morning arises, the people go straightly to the "coffee-stands." When "dingy shades" are raised, the people return to their "furnished" lifestyles. When the prostitute sees the light, she becomes easily distracted by the "sparrows in the gutters." This happens because the people are too busy with their worldly and sinful lifestyles. They are "impatient to assume the world" with the "conscience of a blackened street." They think they can take over their responsibilities of the world without God. Their conscience and thoughts and beliefs are blackened as the "grimy scraps" and "withered leaves about your feet." The people try to live without God's light, so they rely on the "lighting of the lamps." An oil lamp will eventually black out, but the sun will always be in the sky.

In the last three lines, the speaker becomes a realist and talks to the prostitute. He tells her to wipe her mouth with her "soiled hands" and laugh. The speaker admits that the world will never accept Christ. Their hands, bodies, and mouths are full of too much human shit. Their lifestyles will go on without Christ as the "world revolve like ancient women / Gathering fuel in vacant lots." These people live meaningless life. Like the moon orbiting earth, they will continue with their decay and sin forever. Through decay, they will never grow. Without God, they will always be lonely just like a woman collecting wood "in vacant lots."

In Genesis 13, God destroys the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. The city in "Preludes" deserves to be destroyed. Everyone is rejecting God's commandments as they live like the prostitute. They are living in filth like animals. But the speaker exhibits a sharp contrast between the God of the Old Testament and God of the New Testament. The old God was destructive and impatient with sin. But Christ is forgiving and his love and understanding are limitless. Christ is always waiting for his people to repent. He offers them new opportunities and better lives to live for. The speaker asserts that Christ does not want his people to live with "dingy shades" or walk on "sawdust-trampled streets" or tolerate "yellow soles of feet." There is a God these people can befriend. Jesus has enough humility and power and love and mercy to change their lives forever. But this only possible if they are willing to enjoy and understand the masterpiece after the speaker's prelude.