Four Quartets for Lent

At the Still Point: Lenten reflections on T. S. Eliot's poems

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Dante

The ghost of poetry past: Little Gidding 2

March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 / jeffreyvamos / Leave a comment

I'm a huge fan of the very controversial figure we meet in this movement of this fourth and final quartet in Eliot's great poem: Dante. (Controversy? Well, we'll get to that in a moment.) We begin with a kind of verbal a descent, into what again we do not know, for what's to come is … Continue reading The ghost of poetry past: Little Gidding 2

Hit by a book: East Coker 4

March 1, 2018March 1, 2018 / jeffreyvamos / Leave a comment

What amazing luck. Or misfortune. For the lot to fall to me, the coincidence, to get to comment on this particular movement of this our second Quartet. Me, a preacher (again), me a Calvinist. It seems like a tee shot here. What do I mean? Well, this is Eliot in a way finally being a … Continue reading Hit by a book: East Coker 4

In medias res: East Coker 3

February 28, 2018March 1, 2018 / davidnredman / Leave a comment

This is the middle movement of Eliot’s second quartet, “East Coker” and, as we know by now, Eliot is exquisitely aware of his—and our—present existence as being the midpoint between past and future. My fellow blogger John Timpane spoke of this when he wrote about the idea of Immanence in his post last week. This … Continue reading In medias res: East Coker 3

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About this project

Five writers (meet them under The Bloggers tab) will share reflections on this inspiring and illusive poem in light of the Lenten season. The series lasts four weeks, one week each at Burnt Norton, East Coker, the Dry Salvages, and Little Gidding; five bloggers taking on the movements at each location. We hope that our writing will give you a place or two from which to explore your own encounters with the incarnate God.

A word about accessing the poem:  It is under copyright until 2039 or thereabouts, but it is available on-line. Just google “Four Quartets” or the quartet movement of the day. However, it is lovely to have your own copy so that you can make notes, question marks, argue with Eliot, etc.

The poem for those who haven’t been there yet:   Perhaps the best way to begin is to read Four Quartets all the way through out loud. It will take a little less than an hour.

You won’t understand it in the usual way.  The poem is not a singular argument or narrative with a discernible arc or an extended metaphor. It is, unsurprisingly, like music. Themes begin, they are countered. Other themes and variations start and stop. It has a totality about it, but it is best to begin by simply listening, following, moment to moment, movement by movement.

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