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The Hollow Men - Online Term Paper

The Hollow Men

The Theme of Emptiness in “”
“,” a poem written by T.S. Eliot shows the narrators disgust and his faithless attitude toward all mankind. He refers to the human race as being “hollow,” (1) and having a “headpiece filled with straw,” (4) which creates the feeling and theme of emptiness. Eliot also uses allusions, symbols, and repetition as powerful, and depressing poetic devices to make mankind seem hollow.
The theme of emptiness is clearly visible throughout the poem, and it begins in the title. “” refers to mankind being empty, and that there is no meaning to their life, and no purpose for to go on. IN the first section of the poem, the second stanza states “Shape without form, shade ...

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off. This example of emptiness is expressed in the very last stanza of the poem, “This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang, but a whimper.”
“” starts out with two allusions, the first being “Mistah Kurtz-he dead,” which alludes to a quotation from Joseph Conrad’s novel The Heart of Darkness. In the novel, Mr. Kurtz travels to the African jungle and realizes that he cannot handle the uncivilized society of Africa, and becomes depressed and emotionally devolved. Mr. Kurtz was hollow due to no moral or spiritual strength, however he was not one of , but is one of the “lost/Violent souls.” (15) The second allusion is “A penny for the Old Guy,” which alludes to Guy Fawkes Day. On this day, children would build straw-filled effigies of the “guy,” and beg for pennies for fireworks. In the first stanza, the imagery used to create the setting is the repetition of the word “dry.” (5, 8, 10) The narrator of the poem ...

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The Hollow Men. (2005, May 19). Retrieved January 22, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Hollow-Men/27126

"The Hollow Men." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 19 May. 2005. Web. 22 Jan. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Hollow-Men/27126>

"The Hollow Men." Essayworld.com. May 19, 2005. Accessed January 22, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Hollow-Men/27126.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 5/19/2005 07:04:08 AM
Category: English
Type: Free Paper
Words: 475
Pages: 2

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