The Waste Land; Part 2 A Game of Chess

Love without desire is simply a waste, actually it is not love at all. It is very common that people are together just to be together. Because they crave attention, or they are unable to break free of something with another person that they hold on to.

In Eliot's second section of "The Waste Land" the major theme is the lack of love. There are three different parts of this section all referring to failed love. The sections also contains several allusions to ancient, sometimes forbidden loves, that of course failed.

"The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne, 
Glowed on the marble, where the glass 
Held up by standards wrought with fruited vines 
From which a golden Cupidon peeped out 
(Another hid his eyes behind his wing)" 


The first par of this section, is simply describing a scene. There is a woman, most likely of wealth based on the description, who is alone. The "Cupidons" represent the love that this woman does not have. One of them are "peeking" which could represent a small hope, or experience of something that she thought was love and the other hides behind his wing, as if love is almost always set up to fail. There are several allusions in this part of the poem to famous characters such as; Hamlet and Ophelia, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Dido. All of which have a very similar thing in common, they had failed which resulted in death, most of the time suicide. All these allusions, just simply back up the theme of the lack of love, no matter how much you think you love someone it is never enough.

The second part of this sections refers more to lust rather than love. This woman is trying her hardest to squeeze any type of communication out of the man that she is with but he seems to have no care in the world. There is no hint whatsoever that the man even has any type of feeling for this woman, and he is just with her to be with her, most likely for sexual reasons. This is a very common occurrence, in relationships, and the writing of this part of the poem holds very similar ideas to Eliot's other poem "The love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" The woman is constantly asking "What are you thinking of?" and asking him pointless questions just to get some kind of communication. But it is very obvious that this man wants only one thing from this woman, and it is not for her to constantly ask him how he is feeling.

The third part represents more of a trapped love. The woman telling the story about "Lil" and her husband, seems to be a total flusey, and a drunk because she stays at bars till closing time, gossiping about her so called "friend".  The marriage she is describing is not a loving one. The wife (Lil) has had five kids, who are probably the reason she still is with this man, and she seems not be stable, or happy at all. Having children can do a lot to a person, especially having 5 children, personal appearance can no longer be an issue because you have to save money for your children. This family is a poor family, which is another reason the woman stays with her husband. The man doesn't seem to have any respect for her, all he cares about is having a good time with his wife. But he doesn't want her to look ugly while it is happening, and he doesn't care whether or not she keeps getting pregnant, because he is not going to the be the one caring for the children. The wife is simply trapped, trapped in an unhappy marriage, with 5 kids who she didn't actually plan on having. The line "HURRY UP PLEASE IT"S TIME" was repeated throughout this section, and it was the bartender telling the woman blabbing about her friend to stop talking and get out, but it also holds other meaning. This wife is slowly dwindling down to nothing. As long as she is trapped in this life she loses her self worth, because her love, or what she thought was once love has completely failed.

The title itself "A Game of Chess" alludes back to play that uses playing chess as a reference to sexual encounters. Most relationships have nothing to do with love, and everything to do with lust and sex, love is just a word used in order to achieve those things. Most "loving" relationships do fail, commonly with death. This entire section, and theme of this sections refers to the major theme of the entire poem which is life and death. Those who love, and actually love will most likely fail resulting in there death. Love is not an easy task, which is why it is lacking so much.