“Whispers of Immortality” by TS Eliot is an in-depth examination of life and death. Written during the war-torn years between 1915 and 1918, Eliot's quatrain of poetry cites writers John Donne and John Webster as examples of metaphysical poets whose work describes an understanding of mortality and spirituality. Juxtaposed with the work of Donne and Webster is the portrait of Grishkin, a seductive Russian temptress who exists exclusively in a world of momentary pleasure. In “Whispers of Immortality,” Eliot contrasts the macabre interests of these 17th-century writers with today's sensual imagery to illustrate how the intellect of metaphysical poetry disrupts the hedonistic aims of modern poetry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Eliot's piece is divided into two sections, each divided into four quatrains with the last word in the second line assonant with the last word in the fourth line of each stanza. The first four stanzas are written in the past tense and focus on describing themes within the individual work and thought processes of Donne and Webster. It begins: “Webster was much possessed by death / And saw the skull beneath the skin; / And the breastless creatures beneath the earth / leaned back with a lipless smile” (L1-L4). Webster's described fascination with death and the occult (“possessed by death”) is emblematic of his genre's interest in morbid and spiritual worlds. Seeing “the skull beneath the skin,” the poet is shown as a clairvoyant who perceives a certain reality beneath the human form, a representation which is further strengthened when Eliot writes that “He knew that thought clings round dead limbs / Clutching the his lusts and luxuries” (L7-L8). The “lusts and luxuries” of the mind (“thought”) are merely fleeting and are denied from the onset of death, and the bones remain even after the flesh has long since disintegrated. In his 1921 essay, “The Metaphysical Poets,” Eliot notes that 17th-century authors “…sense their thoughts as immediately as the smell of a rose. A thought for Donne was an experience; he changed his sensitivity. In the poem, he corroborates this statement ("Donne, I suppose, was another / Who found no substitute for the senses; / To grasp, grasp and penetrate, / Experienced beyond experience", L9-L12) with a description of Donne's intellectual capacity, curiosity and philosophical study. In the same essay he writes: “A philosophical theory that has entered poetry is established, because its truth or falsity in one sense ceases to matter, and its truth in another sense is demonstrated.” Donne is considered by many to exemplify metaphysical poetic aesthetics and shares Webster's interest in the seemingly impenetrable concepts of life and death (“which found no substitute for sense”). The overtly sexual description, “Grasping, grasping and penetrating / Experienced beyond experience,” portrays the tension between mind and body that Donne and his contemporaries sought to explain through poetic exploration. The writer rejects fleeting carnal pleasures in favor of the contemplation of mortality and human decay (“marrow anguish / Skeleton fever;” L13-L14). The second section of “Whispers of Immortality” is told in the present tense and marks the transition not only from the formal to the colloquial tone, but also from ancient times to the present day. The next half of the poem opens: “Grishkin is pretty: her Russian eye / is underlined for emphasis; / Without a corset, her friendly corset / Promises pneumatic bliss. (L17-L20).>