T.S. Eliot - The Hollow Men Lines 68-98

This lesson analyzes part 5 of T.S. Eliot's 'The Hollow Men', focusing on its apocalyptic themes and spiritual implications. The poem's use of a Christian litany and nursery rhyme appropriation highlights the hollow men's spiritual emptiness. The concept of the shadow, as introduced by Carl Jung, is explored to explain the hollow men's stagnation. The lesson concludes with a reflection on the poem's bleak ending and its warning to confront personal shadows.

What is the good news about the hollow men in the final section of the poem?

• They have been accepted into heaven.

• They have defeated the shadow.

• They have found peace.

• They are singing together and attempting to pray.

What is the significance of the 'prickly pear' in the hollow men's song?

• It represents a place of refuge.

• It symbolizes the hollow men's spiritual journey.

• It is a reminder of the barren cactus land they inhabit.

• It signifies the end of their suffering.

What does the shadow represent in Eliot's poem?

• A representation of the hollow men's physical state.

• A mysterious force that prevents positive human progress.

• A force that encourages human progress.

• A symbol of hope and redemption.

How does the shadow affect the hollow men in stanza 14?

• It allows them to create new life.

• It helps them connect with God.

• It enhances their emotional responses.

• It prevents the creation of new life and strips humanity.

What literary work is referenced when discussing the hollow men's inability to complete the Lord's Prayer?

• Hamlet

• Othello

• King Lear

• Macbeth

What is the final stanza of the poem compared to?

• A joyful celebration

• A hopeful prayer

• A peaceful resolution

• A climactic doxology

What does the repeated phrase 'This is the way the world ends' emphasize?

• The triumph of good over evil

• Eliot's nihilistic vision of mankind's future

• The inevitability of a dramatic apocalypse

• Eliot's optimistic view of the future

What does the auditory imagery of 'bang' and 'whimper' signify?

• The sound of a spiritual awakening

• The beginning of a new era

• The contrast between a dramatic and a quiet end

• The hollow men's redemption

What does Eliot suggest is to blame for the hollow men's fate?

• Their connection with God

• Their heroic actions

• Their unwavering faith

• Their spiritual paralysis and disbelief

What opportunity do we have that the hollow men do not?

• The option to ignore Eliot's warning

• The chance to confront our shadows and seek spiritual fulfillment

• The ability to change the past

• The power to control the future