The Wasteland and Other Poems - T.S. Eliot

Because I know that time is always time
And place is always and only place
And what is actual is actual only for one time
And only for one place
I rejoice that things are as they are and
I renounce the blessed face
And renounce the voice
Because I cannot hope to turn again
Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something
Upon which to rejoice
(from Ash Wednesday 1930)

This small collection contains much of the famous poet's most respected works. A winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948, he was very influential in the poetry world. The poems are both intellectual, often with complex references, and emotional, often reflecting on aging and the passage of time. It is quickly apparent why TS Eliot is revered as a poet when you read the first couple lines of this book, "Let us go then, you and I,...When the evening is spreadout against the sky". Like all good poetry, TS Eliot composes many lines you want to reread and savor. His playfulness and originality in style and form, influencing many who followed.