Hidden Meanings and Motifs

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Hidden Meanings and Motifs In the poem “Preludes” by T.S. Eliot, there are many over all themes that can be seen in this poem. Some of these themes include vivid imagery, environmental surroundings, and the style of his writing which is known as fragmentation. A recurring item in a poem that is not as distinctive as a theme is known as a motif. To the naked eye, a motif may not be visible in this modern poem. After analyzing “Preludes,” I found that the idea of time was a motif that T.S Eliot used very distinctly, but not too much to where it is completely invisible. In the very first stanza, the idea of time is introduce within the first few lines along with some very vivid imagery. “Six o'clock. The burnt-out ends of smoky days.” (1094, Eliot) Time is an important aspect of all life. Without time, nobody would know when to do what, or when it’s time to sleep, or eat, and the world would be completely chaotic. Now how does the importance of time relate to this poem? Eliot using time allows this poem to flow smoothly and also allows us, the reader, to follow the train of thought of the narrator as if we are actually taking over seeing the world through their eyes. In this line, we know exactly what time it is, and we know that it is the end to a very ugly day. If we had not known it was six o’clock, we would not know why the lamps were being lit or why the showers were beat or why any of these things would be happening. The poem would just be more confusing without some kind of constant element to organize the readers
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