"the perpetual star..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
“Perpetual” means eternal or never ending. In the context of the passage, “star” alludes to the star of Bethlehem that led the way to the Christ child. The star motif again appears here; where it was fading before, it is perpetual in this instance, suggesting that though its influence has diminished, it nevertheless endures.
"this tumid river..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The word “tumid” means swollen. The line is an allusion to Dante’s Inferno in which the dead are ferried across the river Acheron on their way to Hell.
"The supplication of a dead man's hand..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The word “supplication” means an earnest plea or prayer. The phrase “a dead man’s hand” is a synecdoche for those who live in the “dead land” of modern society.
"Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
“Colour” is the British spelling of “color,” and “paralysed” is the British spelling of “paralyzed.” The phrases “Shape without form,” “shade without colour,” and “gesture without motion” are parallel in construction; the repetition of the parallelism emphasizes the idea that modern life is characterized by apathy and superficiality. “Paralysed force” interrupts the catalogue of parallel phrases in construction and meter, drawing attention to a second idea in the couplet: that the failure to engage in life meaningfully results from a failure of will, a type of spiritual paralysis. The couplet’s standing alone in section I distinguishes it from the rest of the text in the section, indicating that it is of special significance in developing themes in the poem.
The word “dried” has connotations of lifelessness and sterility. A motif in the text, the idea of sterile lifelessness is repeated in the remainder of the stanza in “dry grass” and “dry cellar.” The motif is also found in section III in the references to “dead land” and “cactus land.” The motif contributes to a theme in the poem: that people in modern society are disengaged from life and lack will, commitment, passion, and power.
The word “alas” conveys feelings of alarm and grief. Used here as a stand-alone interjection punctuated with an exclamation point, “Alas!” emphasizes the intensity of the speaker’s feelings.
