(1954) is a free-verse poem of 34 lines by T. S. Eliot. First drafted in 1952 and subsequently revised, it first appeared in October 1954 as a small pamphlet with an inscription and illustration by David Jones; an American edition with the same verse text but decorated by a different illustrator, Enrico Arno, followed two years later (October 1956). Eliot included this poem in his
Collected Poems 1909-1962(1963) as the last of his “Ariel Poems”.
Eliot himself expressed unease over his poem, writing to Richard Aldington shortly after its publication “that he did not consider it very well executed but that he thought the idea a right one” (Timmerman: 135). Indications that Eliot was dissatisfied with the poem are seen in the many drafts from 1952.
1622 words
Citation: Baker, William, Katie Wales. "The Cultivation of Christmas Trees". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 April 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40475, accessed 19 April 2024.]
