With references to Shakespeare, Buddhism, and contemporary British society, T.S. Eliot’s 434-line poem is considered one of the most important works in 20th-century modernist literature. Shifting voices and abrupt changes in location, time and language produce an effect of despair and desolation, vast and timeless. Based on the legend of the Fisher King, the poem’s five sections draw from famous works of both Eastern and Western literature, weaving a rich tapestry of allegory, philosophy, and satire.

The Waste Land is dedicated to Ezra Pound, a fellow poet who had the most significant editorial input and shaped the work as it’s known today. First published in 1922, the first UK book edition of the poem was typeset by none other than Virginial Woolf.

Kobo Editions offers this fully-accessible version of the original text for your enjoyment.