A Man of Words

     Thomas Stearns Eliot, or better known as T. S. Eliot, was an American poet, essayist, and playwright. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 26, 1888. His mother's name was Charlotte Champe Stearns, and his father was Henry Ware Eliot. He was named after his grandfather, but his family called him Tom. He was the last of six kids: Four girls and two boys.
While in in Eliot learned/studied a variety of subjects and languages including Latin, Greek, German, and French. He was an avid reader as a child and he began writing poetry around age 14. He attended a wide range of schools including Smith Academy, Milton Academy, and Harvard. He attended Harvard University twice, once in pursuit of his doctorates in philosophy. However, Eliot liked to travel and went to France before going back to Harvard for the second time. However, before finishing his degree, World War I exploded into action and Eliot, who'd been in England at the time decided to live there.
     In 1915 he married Vivienne Haigh-Wood, and then he proceeded to work as a teacher, and after that as a banker. However, Eliot remarried in 1957 to Valerie Fischer. Eliot never had any children while he was alive, but his writing carried his legacy for him.
While in London, Eliot was influenced by Ezra Pound, who influenced poems such as “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. Eliot had many notable works such as “The Wasteland”, “Four Quartets”, “Ash Wednesday”, and “The Family Reunion”. Some of Eliot's plays included Murder in the Cathedral, The Family Reunion, The Rock, and The Cocktail Party. In 1927, Eliot became a British citizen and remained there until he died in London on January 4, 1965. Eliot was cremated and had his ashes taken to St. Michael's Church in East Coker.
     Throughout Eliot's life his remained dedicated to poetry, and to helping new and upcoming poets in London. After become a British citizen Eliot began working for the publishing house Faber & Faber. He published tons of new, young and upcoming, poets for the publishing house, and in the end he became the firms director.