Rhetorical Analysis
In “Preludes,” the poet, T. S. Eliot, claims that Jesus is always willing to forgive those who live in sin. He cites his evidence through the use of imagery and symbolism. Even though people in the cities are decaying like trash, they still have the chance to change. He targets his words to Americans living in the city.
Eliot establishes his credibility by describing the modern city. He states that the city is full of “grimy scraps,” “news papers from vacant lots,” and “broken blinds and chimneypots.” It’s seems like he has grown up in a city. He knows that lamps are lighted, cab-horses “steams and stamps,” and the streets are “trampled” with sawdust. He verifies to his reader that he’s just like them – a sinner. Eliot’s credibility is established poorly. He fails to mention how he made these observations. It’s possible that he could’ve gotten this information from a friend, novel, or a poem.
Eliot mainly relies on pathos. He shows the disgust, and shame everyone experiences in the city. In stanza III, Eliot compares a prostitute to the city. Like the city, the prostitute is decaying with “yellow soles of feet / In the palm of both soiled hands” and her “sould was constituted” with “thousand sordid images.” Intentionally, Eliot wants his reader to feel shame and disgust. They are forced to remember the sins and choices they make every day. Eliot forces them to realize they are in need of help. As the prostitute is unlovable, it seems like the reader cannot achieve redemption. However, Eliot uses pathos again to provide hope. In stanza IV, he claims that these people can be forgiven simply by accepting Jesus. He invokes strong imagery to make this point. The reader’s soul is like a “blackened street,” but Jesus’s grace and mercy are “tight across the skies” and “fade behind a city block.” The city is full of filth, “masquerades,” and prostitutes, but Jesus will never abandon his people. Jesus is constantly waiting for his people. The reader is moved with awe and thankfulness. They learn and accept that redemption is possible in a wrecked city. Through pathos, Eliot manages achieve his goal. His readers feel an array of different emotions throughout the poem. Eliot convinces the audience that they will live like “soiled” prostitutes unless they acknowledge Christ.
Eliot provides logos through light imagery. Throughout the poem, Jesus’s grace is represented through nature. The ground is covered with trash, sawdust, mud, and blackness. The citizens do not have any respect or admiration for nature. Thus, they reject Christ. Like the sun, Eliot argues that grace is always available. People just need to pay attention. The logic found in “Preludes” is compliant with the 1 Timothy 1:16. Simply, both texts agree that Christ’s patience is unlimited.
A counterargument arises in the last three lines – the idea that people will never accept Christ in the city. Surprisingly, Eliot just agrees to it. He states that eternally, people will ignore their savior. He changes the tone of poem. He becomes sadistic and a realist. He concedes that everyone lives a meaningless, pathetic, and lonely life. They will never change and end up naked and dead like “ancient women.” Eliot’s claim manages to achieve kairos with the three lines. Throughout the poem, he builds pathos and logos to convince the reader that he or she is in need of help. At conclusion, he summons fear onto his readers. The counterargument catches them off guard. Thus, the audience is forced to realize the meaninglessness of their lives, valuables, and achievements.
T. S. Eliot has successfully achieved his purpose. He wanted to his readers to realize their state of decay and realize they need Christ. Eliot gives hope to his readers. Despite their alcoholism, sexual immorality, and hardships, an “infinitely gentle” savior exists. Unlike other Christian teachings, Eliot manages to portray Jesus in a more compassionate manner. The reader is convinced that this savior omnipresent. The city deserves to be destroyed by God’s wrath; instead, God’s love is stretched throughout the city. Eliot understands and describes the sinfulness of men. The readers are drawn to Christianity because Eliot is able to empathize with their infinite struggles of sin and hardships.
No comments:
Post a Comment