The poetry of T.S. Eliot can be challenging and confronting. There is an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and apathy toward a modern world that has lost all integrity and substance. In many of Eliot’s poems, the landscape is used to convey this sense of fragmentation and bleakness. This can be seen in poems such as "Journey of the Magi", "Usk", "Preludes", "Aunt Helen" and "Rannoch". Though the poems vary in location, they are primarily concerned with Eliot’s frustration and lament for a world that is arduous and devoid of hope. Reading Eliot’s poems was a challenging experience as his innovative style demanded deep contemplation from the reader but with patience, they prove to be moving and rewarding.

The landscape and its potential for hardship features in the poem "Journey of the Magi". In this poem, Eliot expresses self-doubt and questions the purpose of religious conversion or the "new dispensation". The poet expertly captures the voice of one of the magi, who reflects "A cold coming we had of it...A hard time we had of it". The journey itself acts as a metaphor to reflect Eliot’s own spiritual journey to Anglicanism and the self-doubt that accompanies such a radical conversion. Though Eliot uses the magi to explore his spiritual journey and search for meaning, the reader will find that elements of doubt and disillusion persist. The bleak and treacherous journey acts as a backdrop to convey this self-doubt in an effective way.

The biblical imagery of Christ the Conqueror, appearing as "an old white horse gallop[ing] away" and "three trees on a low sky" suggests an anxiety over this new destination to which the magi have arrived. Eliot’s own insecurities about his spiritual conversion can be seen here and he wonders, "were we led all that way for Birth or Death?". The rhetorical question solidifies the apprehension felt by the poet as he departs from an old belief system. "Journey of the Magi" is a wonderfully complex tale that innovatively uses a biblical setting and characterisation to explore Eliot’s deepest concerns and anxieties regarding faith and the purpose of his life.

In Eliot’s poem, "Usk", the landscape is presented in a mythical yet fragmented way to convey Eliot’s concerns with faith and mysticism. The poem, though concise, is one of his most complex and thought-provoking works. Though the landscape is rich in imagery, with the alliterative "white hart behind the white well", Eliot uses the richness of "Usk" to underscore a disconnection between modern society and true faith. The poem invites the reader to consider their own faith and to "glance aside"; to abstain from false belief systems. There is a sense of exasperation in the tone of the poem and this is solidified with the lyrical instruction to "gently dip, but not too deep". Thus, as one delves further into the meaning of the poem, the landscape can be interpreted as a distraction from true faith and Eliot works hard to convince his reader to look beyond such distractions.

Eliot utilises internal rhyme to direct his reader to a place of renewed faith. He writes "Seek only there/Where the grey light meets the green air". The assonance present in the line adds to the lyrical rhythm of these closing lines and there is a new sense of ease and comfort that was absent in the opening of the poem. The once fragmented landscape is rejuvenated and Eliot’s earlier lack of hope is lifted. Rich symbolism in the "hermit’s chapel, the pilgrim’s prayer" underscores this renewed faith. Thus, in "Usk", Eliot demonstrates how a fractured and disjointed landscape can experience a rebirth and a resurrection of sorts. Though many of his poems remain devoid of hope, this poem's affirmation is comforting.

The bleak, desolate landscape of the urban environment is presented in "Preludes". In this poem, the monotony of modern life, where individuals are disconnected from one another and their surroundings, is examined. Eliot portrays a grimy, desolate cityscape filled with "burnt-out ends of smoky days", emphasising decay and stagnation. Sibilance is utilised in section one of the poem as the "smell of steaks in passageways" is evoked to convey the urban setting. Synecdoche sees the urban setting made up of a collection of "muddy feet" and "hands that are raising dingy shades", thereby reinforcing the sense of disconnection that pervades the poem. Eliot’s attention to detail in each vignette highlights humanity’s alienation from authentic experience and there is a clear sense of fracture and desolation present.

The poem shifts between descriptions of the city and glimpses into individual experiences, with Eliot trying to make sense of man’s purpose and existence. The repetition of "and" in part three of the poem suggests frustration as the speaker observes "And when all the world came back/And the light crept up...And you heard the sparrows...". This repetition underscores the banality of the passing of time and the lack of any significant or worthwhile experience occurring. Eliot’s recurring references to morning and evening imply an unending cycle of futility as the clock moves from "four and five and six o’clock". The poem showcases a faceless, hostile society in a stark and bleak setting, suggesting a world that is without hope or aspiration.

Eliot turns his attention from the outside world to the domestic sphere in his poem, "Aunt Helen". In this poem, Eliot uses the internal confines of a house "near a fashionable square" to expose the disregard and disconnection present in modern society. The tone and register adopted by the poet reflect the sense of emotional distance between the speaker and his aunt whom he called "Mrs Helen Slingsby", explaining that she had "servants to the number of four". The rigidity in the language mirrors a society that is repressed and disconnected. In this way, Eliot uses an innovative approach to critique modernity.

The poet introduces two more memorable characters into the poem, "the footman...holding the second housemaid on his knees -", exposing the disregard that Aunt Helen’s servants had for her. The use of humour in the latter half of the poem and the enjambment employed as the lines run on reflect an unrestricted energy that has been released with the Aunt’s passing. This shift in tone and rhythm underscores Eliot’s overarching message: that one’s life and impact are very quickly forgotten, thus reinforcing the futility of life. The domestic environment is bleak and irreverent, acting as a microcosm of wider society. "Aunt Helen" allows Eliot to carefully examine the fragmentation that pervades the modern world and his sense of despondency is clear.

A bleak and fractured landscape is nowhere more evident than in Eliot’s poem, "Rannoch, by Glencoe". Here, Eliot presents the reader with a bleak and desolate scene where "the crow starves...[and] the patient stag breeds for the rifle". The brutal imagery and sibilance emphasise a landscape that retains a violent historical past. Eliot notes that "substance crumbles...moon cold or moon hot" and in this way, hopelessness and disconnection are conveyed. The fractured language, whereby independent and seemingly disconnected images are presented to the reader, further cements an overarching sense of desolation and despair. 

Though the poem explores a violent historical past, Eliot cleverly utilises lethargic and stagnant imagery of a road that "winds in listlessness" and swords described as "languor of broken steel". The landscape holds "memory...beyond the bone" and the bleak and inhospitable Rannoch acts as an extended metaphor for Eliot’s overall sense of hopelessness and internal dislocation. The closing lines, full of consonance, mimic the harsh landscape as "pride snapped" and there is no "concurrence of bone". Eliot adeptly employs these harsh sounds to convey a lack of hope or resolution. In "Rannoch", the bleak and fractured landscape works to convey a sense of hopelessness and despair. Historical violence cannot be erased and it pervades our modern existence. 

In conclusion, Eliot conveys his antipathy and frustration with the modern world through his exploration of the landscape. This is most clearly seen in poems such as "Journey of the Magi", "Usk", "Preludes", "Aunt Helen" and "Rannoch". Though the poems vary in location, they are primarily concerned with Eliot’s frustration with a world that lacks hope or integrity. Eliot’s innovative and experimental style challenged me to consider each poem deeply and his sense of hopelessness became clear with each reading. I found Eliot’s themes of despair and fragmentation provocative and intriguing.