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It may seem cliché to refer to T.S. Eliot’sgreat poem “Ash Wednesday” as we approach Ash Wednesday. But for at least two reasons, writing about Eliot’s epic poem at this time of the liturgical year is worth the risk. First, other than by reference to the title, it is not at all clear that the poem is about Ash Wednesday. So even understanding it as a poem corresponding to this important day in the liturgical calendar takes some work. Second, the depth of the meaning of “Ash Wednesday” defies exhaustive treatment; there are always new gems to find in it and new things to say about them. It’s never a bad time to talk about this great poem. Ash Wednesday is the perfect time, no matter how often.
For purposes of this brief treatment, I highlight two key themes. The first is Eliot’s decisive rejection of the myth of moral and ontological self-sufficiency. The second, related to the first, is the adventure of the ascent of faith in faithless times. Both these themes, of course, are as resonant in 2025 as they were in 1930 when the poem was first published, about two years after Eliot’s conversion to Anglicanism (he identified as an ‘anglo-catholic’).
Continued below.
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For purposes of this brief treatment, I highlight two key themes. The first is Eliot’s decisive rejection of the myth of moral and ontological self-sufficiency. The second, related to the first, is the adventure of the ascent of faith in faithless times. Both these themes, of course, are as resonant in 2025 as they were in 1930 when the poem was first published, about two years after Eliot’s conversion to Anglicanism (he identified as an ‘anglo-catholic’).
Surrender, not despair
Continued below.
T.S. Eliot's 'Ash Wednesday' shows us how to surrender
Discover T.S. Eliot's Ash Wednesday, a powerful poem on surrender, faith and spiritual renewal during Lent.
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