T S ELIOT—THE AGED EAGLE IN THE BOX.

T S ELIOT—THE AGED EAGLE IN THE BOX. T S Eliot’s reading of his poetry was in sharp contrast to the showmanship of Dylan Thomas; I would use the words “dry” and “precise” in describing Eliot. I remember hearing a recording of Eliot just once, in an English seminar on a klunky record player. Professor Mayo referred to Eliot as “the aged eagle in the box”. I missed the reference at the time. It was a reference to Eliot’s Ash Wednesday:

“Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn
Desiring this man’s gift and that man’s scope
I no longer strive to strive towards such things
(Why should the aged eagle stretch its wings?)
Why should I mourn
The vanished power of the usual reign?”

Here is Eliot reading The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.