Symposium Abstract

Dana Blaisdell

Department of English Language and Literature

Subconscious Mysticism: Buddhism at Work in T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Burnt Norton

As most of us can attest, impressions of youth often stay with us our entire lives. Whether outright or subtle, these impressions often surface when we are unaware. As a poet who should be read largely in the context of subconscious reactions and images, T.S. Eliot presents in two of his most noted works, The Waste Land and Burnt Norton, a strong undercurrent of Buddhist philosophy and a quest for the ultimate goal of Buddhist faith, nirvana.

Session A — 9:15 a.m. — Gallery I.