Meditation and Mysticism in T. S. Eliot’s “East Coker”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23925/2236-9937.2021v25p222-248Keywords:
T. S. Eliot, East Coker, Meditative Poetry, Meditation, MysticismAbstract
This article consists of an interpretive analysis of “East Coker” as a meditative poem. The essential characteristics of this hybrid subgenre are described, and it is shown how —with what stylistic themes and resources— the poet concretely configures a transcendent search for the Divine in the poem. It is discovered that the search is carried out in the manner of an ascetic-spiritual meditation with defined characteristics that invite the reader to engage in the meditative movement. Thus, he/she is able to perform the same meditation performatively, which becomes a true spiritual exercise.
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