T.S. Eliot Books In Order

Publication Order of Poetry Collections

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Plays

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of The Letters of T.S. Eliot Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

About T.S. Eliot

An American turned British poet and writer, T.S. Eliot is a name who, for many, requires no introduction to his life and work. Known for his Modernist usage of the English language, he’d transform poetry and prose, creating something entirely different in the process. Pushing words to their full potential, not a single sentence was wasted, as he’d say precisely what it was that he wanted to say. Creating some of the most memorable lines in poetry to date, his work lives on as a testament to the art-form, as countless aspiring writers follow in his footsteps.

As literary critic and editor as well, he had a real mastery of the form quite unlike any other, crafting his own unique style in the process. His work has since been heralded as a prime example of the form, with his writing living on for countless readers and writers around the world. Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, he would also receive critical acclaim and adulation during his lifetime as well. Garnering attention all over the world, his first poem to reach a mass-audience would be ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ in 1915, and from there his legacy would grow.

Conjuring up visions and vivid imagery, he received widespread attention, as he’s now considered to be one of the foremost poets of the 20th century. While he didn’t release a great deal of poetry during his lifetime, what Eliot did release was considered to be ‘an event’ by his own volition. With his work being widely regarded as of the highest standard, his writing is viewed as being the benchmark of its genre. With a legacy that continues to live on to this very day, more and more from around the world discover his work all time with every passing year.

Early and Personal Life

Born Thomas Stearns Eliot on the 26th of September in 1988, he was born and raised in St. Louis, in Missouri, in the United States. His family were a Boston Brahmin family, and they had roots in New England, with his mother, Charlotte Champe Stearns, also writing poetry. As a young boy he would read a number of books including Mark Twain, attending the Smith Academy from 1898 to 1905, followed by Washington University boys college preparatory.

Later he would study at Milton Academy in Massachusetts, followed by Harvard College from 1906 to 1909. In 1914 he would move to England, working there then settling to marry and live, before finally becoming a British citizen in 1927 and renouncing his American citizenship. Passing away on the 4th of January in 1965 in his home in Kensington, London, he would leave behind a body of work that is still read to this day.

Writing Career

Releasing his first published poem in 1905, ‘A Fable for Feasters’ was published in the ‘Smith Academy Record.’ He’d then go on to publish several different poems, many of which would feature in ‘The Harvard Advocate,’ published during his time at Harvard. In 1917 he’d see his seminal collection of poems released titled ‘Prufrock and Other Observations,’ which was brought out while at university.

Following this he’d go on to release further poems and essays, later publishing his collection ‘The Waste Land’ in 1922. A number of plays would also follow, including ‘The Rock,’ ‘Murder in the Cathedral,’ ‘The Cocktail Party,’ and ‘The Confidential Clerk’ just to name a few. Gaining literary, music, and drama awards, he received lots of critical acclaim during his lifetime, including a Nobel and multiple Tony awards, as his name lives on today.

The Waste Land and Other Poems

Initially brought out in 1922 through the ‘Boni and Liveright’ publishing imprint, this would first come to print after meetings with Ezra Pound. Eliot would also strike publishing deals to see it originally published in magazines internationally, including ‘The Dial,’ and ‘The Criterion.’ It has since seen further reprints over the years, with it selling widely around the world ever since its first release.

The main poem of The Waste Land itself is separated into five different sections, with different themes for each one. In ‘The Burial of the Dead’ the poem speaks of despair and disillusionment, before going on to ‘A Game of Chess’ and then ‘The Fire Sermon.’ Next it’s ‘Death by Water’ and then, finally, ‘What the Thunder Said,’ each with their own narration and underlying set of themes and principles. The book also contains several other poems as well, but this is the main one which is most well known, really setting the standard for poetry.

Not only is ‘The Waste Land’ one of the most important poems of T.S. Eliot’s literary career, but it’s also seen as one of the most important poems of the twentieth century overall. A key text when it comes to modernist poetry, it’s insight and form are unparalleled, making it a prime example of the genre. Drawing influences from Eastern religions, the poem really would come into its own, as readers and writers from around the world have come to cite it as a major influence.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Other Poems

First published by Harriet Monroe in her publication ‘Poetry: A Magazine of Verse,’ this would be written between February 1910 to July/August 1911. Released in the 1915 issue of ‘Poetry,’ it would also be overseen by the editor Ezra Pound, as it was the poem to which Eliot would make his name. Brought together with collection of other poems, it was to be reprinted and published throughout much of the twentieth century.

As for the poem itself, it looks at themes of emasculation and missed opportunities for love and carnal desires. Becoming aware of mortality, it speaks to a number of different themes and ideas, largely Prufrock lamenting his own intellectual inertia. Using a stream-of-consciousness style, it flows along bringing Prufrock’s own interior monologue to life, shining a light on this modern man. Set to epitomize the frustration of the modern individual, it charts his disillusionment as the poem progresses.

While the poem would push the boundaries upon its initial release, with many reviewers and critics not knowing how to take it, it’s since gone on to become a formative text. It’s no wonder that this really set the tone for Eliot’s literary career to follow, marking him as a writer to watch in the years come. From this he would become one of the most widely read poets of the twentieth century, changing the face of poetry for generations to come.