The Dry Salvages

THE DRY SALVAGES {SUMMARY}
                                              -T. S. Eliot

The Dry Salvages by T.S Eliot is taken from the four quartets that include – Burnt Norton, East Coker, the Dry Salvages and Little Gidding.The central idea of the poem is influenced by the story of Mahabharata where Lord Krishna admonished Arjuna on the battle field to perform his duties disregarding his personal considerations or expecting any future results. The poet has tried to convey the same message in a different tone.

Eliot starts the poem by comparing future to a faded song and the fragrance of a Royal rose or a Lavender spray. Its fragrance doesn’t last long. Future is like the yellow pages of an unopened book. He conveys the fact that life is not steady and that time is no healer since time cannot save the dead.

He later compares life to a train journey where the passengers are happy and settled with their periodicals and relax in the sleepy rhythm for a hundred hours. They move forward neither escaping from the past nor worrying about the future. By the time they reach any terminus they have changed.

He continues by comparing life to a ship voyage, where we must avoid looking at the deep furrows behind us. At night we hear a voice like echo of time conveying, generally to the humanity, the message of its presence. Once again he quotes that the voyagers undergo transformation as they disembark. We cannot be sure about reaching the destination, but we should balance the past and the future to avoid sinking in the present.

He reminds mankind that in every moment of life we are inching towards death and this will affect others. It is we who have to suffer the challenges of life, never expecting any fruits and realizing that the living moment is our real life.

Finally, he concludes by saying that never say goodbye to life, but continue the journey forward regardless of the risks with determination.