How can I study TS Eliot's The Waste Land?

The Waste Land is a very complex poem, with a lot of allegories and hidden meaning. It can be daunting, especially due to its length. However, it is worth spending time on it to properly understand it.

The poem is split into five sections: The Burial of The Dead, A Game Of Chess, The Fire Sermon, Death By Water, and What The Thunder Said. 

Not only is the poem ridden with allegory, it also has context in Eliot's own life.

CB
Answered by Caitlin B. English tutor

5385 Views

See similar English A Level tutors

Related English A Level answers

All answers ▸

How should I structure my paragraphs or intro?


Compare and contrast the themes of love and fantasy within "The Great Gatsby" and "The Whitsun Weddings".


“McEwan suggests that Briony’s crime can easily be forgiven because she is a child.” To what extent do you agree with this view? Remember to include in your analysis relevant exploration of McEwan’s authorial methods.


Would you agree that although E.M Forster’s novel Howard’s End is not, in any obvious sense a ‘modernist’ novel, it is certainly a novel fundamentally concerned with ‘modernity’?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning