The Waste Land; Part 3 The Fire Sermon

"Twit twit twit 
Jug jug jug jug jug jug
So rudely forc'd 
Tereu" 


Lust is described as "A very strong sexual desire", love and lust are no where near one in the same. There are several situations, where only one person will feel love and the other only lust. In the third section of Eliot's poem "The Waste Land" an important theme is lust vs. love, and its connection to the poems major theme, life vs. death. Sex, whether it is between two lovers, or two people who can't stand each other, is the root of life. Without it, there would be no life, which means there would be no death. In the part 3 "The Fire Sermon" Eliot depicts one particular encounter, described by Tiresias, the blind prophet, the scene he describes contains no love whatsoever, between a young unappealing man, and a woman. The woman shows absolutely no interest in the man who she is with.

"The meal is ended, she is bored and tired, 
Endeavors to engage her in caresses 
Which are still unreproved, if undesired.
Flushed and decided, he assaults at once; 
Exploring hands encounter no defence; 
His vanity requites no response, 
And makes a welcome of indifference." 


It is clear that the man does not care whether or not the woman is interested. He is going to be with her intimately with her whether she wants to be or not. The relationship between these two people contains no life, which is ironic because there relations could possibly be the creation of life. Just like in the nightingales song, written above, this particular section is describing a rape. The lifeless, relationships described in this part of the 3rd section is very similar to the 1st part of this section. "The Fire Sermon" opens with a description of a fisherman fishing on a lifeless, river in the "unreal city". The river contains absolutely no life, or even a hint of life. All the remains are dead bodies, and brown water. "The nymphs are departed" which alludes to the myth that gods have a connection to the water, they bring life to the water, without them there is no life.

Another connection to the theme of lust is the "Smyrna merchant" who try's to seduce the narrorartor, this scene alludes to Dante's inferno. The merchant doesn't even know narrartor but he invites him to an intimate weekend anyway.

The song at the end of this section, connects the lifeless river, and the loveless, lustful relationships between man and woman. Which are truly one in the same. Relationship's with only lust are completely lifeless, just like the river. The irony, and the connection to the major theme of the poem, is that, that particular lust, is what creates life.