Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 08:29:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Paul Antschel <antschel-AT-m-net.arbornet.org>
Subject: Re: T.S. Eliot


Eric,

You wrote:

> Do not let me hear/Of the wisdom of old men, but rather of their
> folly,/Their fear of fear and frenzy, their fear of possession,/Of
> belonging to another, or to others, or to God/The only wisdom we can
> hope to acquire/Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless./
>
> The houses are all gone under the sea.
>
> The dancers are all gone under the hill.
> ================================> This is from the end of section II of East Coker in T.S. Eliot's poem
> "Four Quartets", a writer I still have a great fondness for, both as
> poet and critic, despite his currently perceived retro-ness. By the way,
> the early Pynchon was definitely influenced by Eliot as well.
>
Yes, I couldn't remember and thanks for clarifying this. (Also for the
Pynchon lines the other day you quoted from Gravity's Rainbow.) I've
lost most of my books, due to unusual circumstances that occurred while
wandering about Europe with a highly eccentric French wife. Luckily, I
still have extensive notes, yet got into the unfortunate habit of quoting lines
that interested me, but without always noting the author's name.

Do you happen to know if the line "Life consists of propositions / About
life" that I mixed up with the Eliot quote is from Wallace Stevens?

regards,

Paul