T. S. Eliot and Organicism provides the first
comprehensive account of Eliot's preoccupation with agrarianism, organicism and
the environment. Jeremy Diaper elucidates and contextualizes several facets of
Eliot's organic thinking, ranging from composting and soil fertility, to
regionalism, nutrition and culinary skills. Through detailed examination of
Eliot's engagement with organic issues, this book offers environmental readings
of Eliot's poetry and plays and demonstrates that agrarian concerns emerge as a
notable theme in his literary output - from his earliest notebook of poems
known as Inventions of the March Hare
to Murder in the Cathedral. This book
also analyzes Eliot's prose to illuminate
his engagement with the key environmental debates which were taking place
during the 1930s-50s. Diaper offers a thorough analysis of Eliot's social
criticism and explores his perturbation regarding the decline of agriculture in
After Strange Gods, The Idea of a Christian Society and Notes Towards the Definition of Culture.
T.
S. Eliot and Organicism
breaks new ground by demonstrating that a thorough understanding of Eliot's
engagement with environmentalism is vital to our interpretation of both his
poetry and prose. It establishes that one of the twentieth century's most
eminent literary figures should be remembered for his important role in the
emergence of the organic husbandry movement and for his wide-ranging comments
on a variety of environmental and organic issues.
