Animula

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  • Animula
    • Context
      • Animula means "little soul". Here, Eliot is concerned about how modern life is causing corruption to even the most innocent.
    • Form
      • Is not broken up into stanzas, but flows into each other instead, it is continuous, like the circle of life. Quite monotonous.
    • Meaning
      • The poem begins with the idea of a child's soul: "grasping at kisses and toys"
      • The poem goes on to show the soul growing up and becoming more and more corrupt: "the pain of living, the drug of dreams", "the heavy burden of the growing soul".
        • The soul used to be solely interested in pleasure but they are now obsessed with knowledge "Encyclopedia Britannica" and "studies".
      • The soul becomes less and less innocent: "Irresolute and selfish, misshapen, lame".
      • The poem ends with a prayer for Guiterriez, Boudin and Floret. (The mechanical age, the death of people in WW1 and for the afterlife).
    • Themes
      • Ageing
      • Modern society
      • Religion

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