What is the significance of the title, 'Death by Water'? (MEG 102) (T.S. ELIOT: THE WASTE LAND (III)

"Death by Water" is the fifth and final section of T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Waste Land," and it is significant for several reasons.

Firstly, the title is a direct reference to the drowning of the Phoenician sailor, who is mentioned in the previous section of the poem, "What the Thunder Said." The sailor's death by water is symbolic of the destruction and dissolution that runs throughout "The Waste Land," and it serves as a reminder of the fragility and impermanence of human life.

Secondly, the title "Death by Water" can also be seen as a reference to the myth of the flood, which appears in various cultures and is often associated with themes of purification, rebirth, and renewal. In "The Waste Land," the flood imagery is used to suggest that the destruction of the old world is necessary for the creation of a new one, and that the cycle of death and rebirth is an essential part of the natural order.

Finally, the title "Death by Water" can be interpreted as a commentary on the human desire for transcendence and escape from the limitations of the physical world. Water is often associated with spiritual cleansing and purification, and in "The Waste Land," it is suggested that the only way to transcend the emptiness and despair of modern life is through a spiritual awakening and a willingness to face the truth of our own mortality.

Overall, the title "Death by Water" is a powerful symbol of the themes that run throughout T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land," including the fragility of human life, the necessity of destruction and renewal, and the human desire for transcendence and spiritual awakening.