INTERMINGLING

The burial of the dead by T.S. Eliot is a poem which brings awe and surprises to the reader. The Indulgent tone of the poem keeps the reader attached to the reverse themes of the poem. The very start of the first paragraph of burial of the dead sets a remarkable precedence for the overall theme of the series.

April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers

Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee

With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,

And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten

And drank coffee, and talked for an hour…”  

April is generally renowned as a month of happiness. With the fresh arrival of spring and beauty which carries. It’s a month of pleasantries. Elliot on the other hand emphasizes on April being cruel. It entails the reader that there must is something wrong. He goes on to describe the reasons for April being cruel. That if you have “dull roots” from the winter gloom, April just brings forth the memory and desire that you might be feeling presently.

Elliot goes on to describe the pleasantries of winter in his views. The next few lines bring further context to the initial verses.  He describes snow. How it manages to cover and hide the intricacies of Earth in a white blanket, “covered”. Bringing a sense of forgetfulness on what lies underneath. Elliot adopts a contradictory tone in his poem. Winters are supposed to be chilly. His description of them is of warmth and comfort.

The mention of German cities and the time that the poem was written makes the reader realize of what Elliot is talking about. The poem becomes a story. Possibly, the story of a character living in Germany during the World War. The thematic difference in the joys and sadness that seasons undergo due to actions of men make us realize the very power that mankind hold. That someone can go on to appreciate winters and despise spring. How men can bring waste to spring. How the richness of spring can be demoted in status. And how winter and the feelings of numbness can supersede spring. All due to power of men; hence the intermingling of the seasons.