Discussions are here presented of Eliot's chief works, with each critical viewpoint illustrated at length. Every aspect of his activity as poet, playwright, critic, and personality is touched.
Mirrors the changing morals of the United States literary climate, from the search for the "usable past" of the 1920's, through the social realism of the '30's, to the psychological symbolism of the '40's and 50's.
Presents many brilliant critical writings which reveal both the method and the achievement of William Butler Yeats who used symbolism to elevate the subjective into statements of universal meaning.