Childlessness and the Waste Land in C.N. Bialik and T.S. Eliot

The intense, recurrent motif of infertility in the works of Bialik and Eliot may be linked with the theme of childlessness which appears in their late writings. This motif is susceptible both to general and to personal interpretations, an expression of the barrenness of society and of the childlessn...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Aberbach, David 1953- (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:English
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Published: College 1984
In: Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Year: 1984, Volume: 55, Pages: 283-307
RelBib Classification:BH Judaism
Further subjects:B Jewish literature
Parallel Edition:Electronic
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Summary:The intense, recurrent motif of infertility in the works of Bialik and Eliot may be linked with the theme of childlessness which appears in their late writings. This motif is susceptible both to general and to personal interpretations, an expression of the barrenness of society and of the childlessness of the poet. The desert and the dry tree are among the frequent images of infertility in Bialik and Eliot. This imagery is accompanied by a general tone of hopelessness, despair and, at times, even a wish for death. The occasional extremity of their pessimism regarding society might be attributed to a personal sense of impotence and failure. A close study of the two poets reveals that a common human tragedy unites them and accounts for some of the striking similarities in their writings.
ISSN:0360-9049
Contains:In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion