23 pages • 46-minute read
The Hollow Men
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot (1922)
The most famous of T.S. Eliot’s poems also draws heavily from his experiences in World War I. This poem was published shortly before the release of “The Hollow Men,” by which time Eliot’s narrative voice had been established and celebrated.
“Inferno” Canto III, by Dante Alighieri (c. 1300)
Although this poem predates Eliot by several centuries, it had a marked influence on his work; “The Hollow Men” and other poems contain several literary allusions to Dante’s masterpiece, The Divine Comedy.
“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen (1920)
A great body of work has been created on the effects of World War I. This posthumous poem by Wilfred Owen takes a visceral approach to the aftermath of war, sharing similar language and tones to “The Hollow Men.”
Further Literary Resources
“‘The Heart of Darkness’ in T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Hollow Men’” by Daniel J. McConnell (1962)
This article explores the relationship between “The Hollow Men” and the novel Heart of Darkness, as characterized by the opening epigraph, and the way aspects of the novel are woven through the poem.
“The Apocalyptic Vision in Modernist and Romantic Poetry: A Comparative Study between T. S Eliot’s The Hollow Men and Lord Byron’s Darkness” by Soumaya Boucacida and Ikram Lecheheb (2022)
Comparing the two poems, this article examines the overlapping themes of apocalypse and dystopia, stemming from traumatic societal change, as they appear in both Romantic and Modernist poetry.
“T.S. Eliot and PTSD in His Poems, ‘The Hollow Men’ and ‘The Waste Land’” by Utku Muratoğlu
Using the framework of the effect of PTSD on the individual and across society, this article examines T.S. Eliot’s experiences during World War I and the way these collective traumas informed his literary work.
Listen to Poem
Listen to Jeremy Irons read “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot.
English actor and voice artist Jeremy Irons reads Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” in 2017 as part of a celebration of the poet’s work for the BBC Radio 4 on New Year’s Day.
Unlock all 23 pages of this Study Guide
Get in-depth, chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis from our literary experts.
- Grasp challenging concepts with clear, comprehensive explanations
- Revisit key plot points and ideas without rereading the book
- Share impressive insights in classes and book clubs