T. S. Eliot

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1888 and educated at Harvard, Oxford, and the Sorbonne. He settled in England in 1914, becoming a British subject in 1927. His early poetry, such as "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (1915), introduced a fragmented, allusive style that captured modern disillusionment. "The Waste Land" (1922), a dense collage of voices and cultural references, became a defining work of literary modernism. Eliot also wrote influential criticism, arguing for tradition and impersonality in art. His later poetry, notably "Four Quartets" (1943), explored spiritual themes with meditative depth. As a playwright, he achieved success with "Murder in the Cathedral" (1935). Eliot's editorial work at Faber & Faber shaped generations of poets. His legacy endures through his profound impact on poetic form, language, and the role of the artist in a fractured world.