The Wasteland: What have we done

The first stanza of section III i very strong for it compares clearly how the rivers have been damaged and contaminated through time:

"The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,
Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends
Or other testimony of summer nights. The nymphs are departed." (lines 177-179)

This is how rivers are now a day’s full of garbage and wastes the people just lay around and this kills thousands of animal and plant species. In these beginning stanzas, the feeling of death and destruction is present due to the change that mostly human beings are causing on earth. Due to pollution and lack of care everything has been abandoned in the city of Thames and all that can be heard now is the rats dragging their bellys in the river banks. Not even hope is left only vast destruction and death.

In line 202 Eliot changes his language again "Et, O ces voix d'enfants, chantant dans la coupole!" Why does he continually change his language this way? What does he want to show?

He mentions the Greek Tiresias who could see the future but say nothing and do nothing to change it. This character is the most ironic character I’ve heard about, for he could see the future but was blind and couldn’t change it in any way, so his blessing became his curse, for he knew every tragedy that was to come but couldn’t evade it. This is in a way what happens to the world, people know they are ruining it but they still don’t care and continue to pollute and damage the world. In a way we know the future but can’t prevent it because of peoples lack of care.

Section IV is very short but only by looking at its title you can see that it continues with the grief and death, Phlebas was killed in the sea which is supposedly calmed but at the same time symbolizes death and vastness. Phlebas bones are being taken with the seas currents so he has died in the water.

"A current under sea
Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell
He passed the stages of his age and youth
Entering the whirlpool." (lines 315-318)