Four quartets
The Four Quartets is a series of four poems by T.S. Eliot, published individually from 1936 to 1942, and in book form in 1943; it was considered by Eliot himself to be his finest work. Each of the quartets has five "movements" and each is titled by a place name -- BURNT NORTON (1936), EAST COKER (1940), THE DRY SALVAGES (1941), and LITTLE GIDDING (1942). Eliot's insights into the cyclical nature of life are revealed through themes and images woven throughout the four poems. Spiritual, philosophical, and personal themes emerge through symbolic allusions and literary and religious references from both Eastern and Western thought. The work addresses the connections of the personal and historical present and past, spiritual renewal, and the very nature of experience; it is considered the poet's clearest exposition of his Christian beliefs. (The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature)
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What Hacker News says
- The Waste Land is amazing but I recommend Four Quartets even more. Which reminds me, one of my goals for this year was to memorise it… better get back to that.
- Anyone who likes The Waste Land should try and read Four Quartets, and his plays, especially Murder in the Cathedral, The Cocktail Party, The Family Reunion and The Elder Statetsman. They are all unique in their own way and reflect Eliot’s mind and ideas at least as well as WL.
- It helps immensely to hear poetry read, particularly if it's read well. I didn't understand how important the sound is until I started listening - it changed the way I view poetry. If I can't find a recording of a poem, I'll even try reciting it myself.
Years ago I started sticking a cassette (!) of Eliot reading "The Waste Land" in my Walkman (I did say "years ago") before walking to work. It was around 20 minutes each way. I could expect to hear "Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead ..." as I was walking in the front door of the math building. I'd get to the end of the poem around halfway on my way home. Eliot is (to my ears) a good reader, and after months of doing this I'd memorized large chunks of the poem. There are also recordings of him reading "Prufrock" and "Four Quartets" which are very good.
One drawback to this is that I can't multitask while listening to poetry (though now, even music is a problem). So it has to wait till I'm doing something which doesn't require too much attention (which may not be a good thing).
Other good readers of their own poetry - Yeats (though the recordings are very old), Dylan Thomas. Professional readers can sometimes do a good job - I have a recording of Michael Sheen doing "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" which is completely over the top. Best to listen to a sample before you buy.
- Ted Hughes recitation of Eliot’s Four Quartets is amazing!
- T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets"
Time, memory, history, mysticism; these poems are everything.
- Czeslaw Milosz. "Gift" [1] and "A Song on the End of the World" [2].
Philip Larkin. Almost everything he wrote.
Robert Frost.
Ted Hughes. The Birthday Letters. Esp. "You Hated Spain" [3]
T S Elliot. Four Quartets. Preludes.
[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17245-2004Aug...
[2] http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179559
[3] https://philosopherpoet.wordpress.com/2008/04/05/you-hated-s...
