A Recitation From Memory T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets

Worcester County Poetry:On Thursday, November 8, 2018, the Worcester County Poetry Association is co-sponsoring a recitation from memory of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets by John Farrell of Figures of Speech Theatre. The reading will begin at 7:00 pm and will be held the Rehm Library in Smith Hall at Holy Cross (1 College Street, Worcester, MA). This free event is open to the public. Seats can be reserved by visiting bit.ly/4Quartets.

The Worcester County Poetry Association is co-sponsoring the event with three programs at the College of the Holy Cross: Arts Transcending Borders, the English department, and the Catholic Studies department.

Eliot completed Four Quartets in 1941, as Britain slid into the abyss of World War II, and he feared that civilization itself might perish in the coming years. Writing at the height of his artistic powers, Eliot packed into the four long poems a summation of his views on poetry and art, on mystical experience, and on humankind's relationship to history and time.

In 2011, with rarely granted permission of the Eliot Estate, John Farrell committed to memory the one-thousand lines of Eliot's masterpiece and prepared them for performance. John's recitation of Four Quartets affords audiences an opportunity to immerse themselves in these gorgeous lines of poetry, spoken from memory, and renew their understanding of one the 20th century's most exceptional poets.

The Worcester County Poetry Association (WCPA), established in 1972, celebrates the rich literary history and creative energy of Central Massachusetts through public readings, workshops, festivals, scholarly conferences, and other programs, as well as the publication of the literary journal The Worcester Review. For more information about the WCPA visit worcestercountypoetry.org.

Image via Worcester County Poetry