At some point in all mortals' existence, there will be a time when their soul will find itself between two states of being, waiting to be judged. Without the courage and faith needed to cross over to the afterlife, they will spend eternity stuck in purgatory. When TS Eliot wrote "The Hollow Men," he used symbolism, imagery, and repetition to share his insight and address the lack of courage and faith that afflicts every human being. "The Hollow Men" by T. S. Eliot is a dramatic monologue, free verse poem consisting of five parts that could be considered five separate poems. His use of “allegorically abstract text nevertheless achieves a remarkable unity of effect in terms of voice, mood, and imagery” (Morace 948). Before the beginning of the poem there are two epigraphs; “Mistah Kurtz… is dead. / A penny for the old man” (lines 1-2). Eliot alludes to these two epigraphs because their themes are developed throughout his poetry. "The first epigraph is from Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness, a story... which examines the emptiness and horror of faithlessness, spiritual paralysis, and despair" (Bloom 61), just like the " empty men" in his poetry. The second epigraph “refers to the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day in Great Britain” (Bloom 61). This is a day that celebrates Fawkes' failed rebellion against King James I with his capture in the cellar of the Houses of Parliament, where the stored gunpowder was supposed to explode and kill King James I and his family. Once captured, he cowardly handed over his conspirators and they were all killed. It is “celebrated with bonfires, fireworks, the burning of scarecrows and the calling for 'pennies for the Old Guy.' Eliot's images of scarecrows, a cellar and violent souls recall this story of a violent conspiracy that...... middle of paper......nsight to address the lack of courage and faith that afflicts every human being . “Poetry manages admirably to record a mood not only of disillusionment, but of personal weakness” (Morace 950). Without the faith and courage needed to face the final judgment and move on to the afterlife, you will be left to remain in purgatory. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. “Thematic Analysis of 'The Hollow Men'.” Bloom's major poets: TSEliot (1999): 60-63. Literary reference center. Network. November 28, 2011. Eliot, T.S. "The Hollow Men." Famous Poets and Poems: Read and enjoy poetry. August 6, 2006. Web. December 5, 2011. Morace, Robert A. "The Hollow Men." Main plots II. Ed. Frank N. Magill. EnglewoodCliffs: Salem Press, 1992. vol. 3,948-50. Print.Urquhart, Troy. "THE HOLLOW MEN" by Eliot. Explicator 59.4 (2001): 199. Literary Reference Center. Network. December 5. 2011.