T S Eliot The Hippopotamus essay
T. S. Eliot uses irony and contrasting metaphors to illustrate the secularity of the Christian Church and the spirituality of mankind. ... The hippopotamus in the poem is a metaphor for mankind and the True Church is a metaphor for Christianity. ... The awkward hippopotamus is celebrated by the heavenly hosts. The author illustrates these points by contrasting images of the Church with aspects of the plodding, modest hippopotamus. ... The first stanza of the poem contrasts the hippopotamus with a Church clique. The first two lines of the first stanza describe, "The broad-backed hippopotamus. ... " This description gives the image of a big hippopotamus contently lying in the mud. ... Although he seems so firm to us He is merely flesh and blood," contrast with the contented hippopotamus image. ... The author has juxtaposed this cliché with the image of the firm, content hippopotamus. ... " The faltering hippopotamus illustrates mankinds tendency to fumble in his attempt to make ends meet.