I was a freshmen in college, prowling the library shelves, when I found the poetry of T. S. Eliot. His collected poems and plays sits, tattered and worn, on my shelf. I have the facsimile and transcript of the original manuscript of The Waste Land. But after reading The Hyacinth Girl, I feel like I need to go back and reread everything with this book in hand.

Over a thousand letters between the poet and Emily Hale, his muse for many years, were released to the public in 2020. What they reveal changes everything. Hale, along with Eliot’s first wife Vivienne, his relationship with Mary Trevelyan, and his second wife Valerie Fletcher, impacted his poetry in surprising ways. His plays drew upon his relationships, and the women recognized themselves in the characters.

These women loved Eliot. His treatment of Vivienne, Hale, and Mary show a side of the poet that is very disagreeable and reveals deep personality issues and existential conflict. He came to abhor his first wife and her demands. He claimed to love Hale while keeping distant; after embracing Anglicism, he adopted stringent ideas about divorce. His friendship with Trevelyan broke her heart; he claimed he was in love with Hale. And then, when Vivienne died, he pulled back from Hale and Mary, only to suddenly marry his secretary, Valerie, who was half his age. She had been infatuated with Eliot through his poetry before she worked for him. She had no demands. He was writing no more poetry. And she had a natural sexuality that brought him, late in life, sexual fulfillment.

Eliot clearly used Vivienne and Hale for poetic reasons. He said that Vivienne drove him crazy but she was good for his poetry, while he knew that being with Hale would ‘destroy’ it. He wasn’t looking for happiness. His extreme religious views enforced ideas that brought unhappiness.

What an eye-opening book. I almost wish I had not read it, for in ignorance I had a better opinion of Eliot the man.

I received a free egalley from the publisher though NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

Lyndall Gordon once again crafts a meticulously researched and vivid biography--this time making superb use of the treasure trove of newly released letters exchanged by Eliot and Hale. Splendidly done and highly recommended.

Thanks to WW Norton and to Netgalley for the opportunity and pleasure of an early read.