Political Poems: ‘Little Gidding’ by T.S. Eliot
<p>In the final episode of Political Poems, Mark and Seamus discuss ‘Little Gidding’, the fourth poem of T.S. Eliot’s&nbsp;<em>Four Quartets</em>. Emerging out of Eliot’s experiences of the Blitz, ‘Little Gidding’ presents us with an apocalyptic vision of purifying fire. Suggesting that humanity can survive warfare only through renewed spiritual unity, Eliot finds a model in Little Gidding, a small village that for a time in the 17th century served as an Anglican commune before its closure under Puritan scrutiny. Mark and Seamus explore how Eliot’s poetics heighten our sense of the liminal and mystical, and how, by ‘scrambling our brains’, Eliot’s brilliant rhetoric subsumes his bizarre politics.</p><br><p>Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe:</p><br><p>Directly in Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://apple.co/4dbjbjG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://apple.co/4dbjbjG</a></p><br><p>In other podcast apps: <a href="https://lrb.me/closereadings&nbsp;" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lrb.me/closereadings</a></p><br><p>Further reading in the&nbsp;<em>LRB</em>:</p><br><p>Frank Kermode: Disintegration</p><p><a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v16/n02/frank-kermode/disintegration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v16/n02/frank-kermode/disintegration</a></p><br><p>Helen Thaventhiran: Things Ill Done and Undone</p><p><a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n17/helen-thaventhiran/things-ill-done-and-undone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n17/helen-thaventhiran/things-ill-done-and-undone</a></p><br><p>Tobias Gregory: By All Possible Art</p><p><a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v36/n24/tobias-gregory/by-all-possible-art" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v36/n24/tobias-gregory/by-all-possible-art</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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Show Notes
In the final episode of Political Poems, Mark and Seamus discuss ‘Little Gidding’, the fourth poem of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. Emerging out of Eliot’s experiences of the Blitz, ‘Little Gidding’ presents us with an apocalyptic vision of purifying fire. Suggesting that humanity can survive warfare only through renewed spiritual unity, Eliot finds a model in Little Gidding, a small village that for a time in the 17th century served as an Anglican commune before its closure under Puritan scrutiny. Mark and Seamus explore how Eliot’s poetics heighten our sense of the liminal and mystical, and how, by ‘scrambling our brains’, Eliot’s brilliant rhetoric subsumes his bizarre politics.
Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe:
Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4dbjbjG
In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadings
Further reading in the LRB:
Frank Kermode: Disintegration
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v16/n02/frank-kermode/disintegration
Helen Thaventhiran: Things Ill Done and Undone
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n17/helen-thaventhiran/things-ill-done-and-undone
Tobias Gregory: By All Possible Art
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v36/n24/tobias-gregory/by-all-possible-art
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.