Quest for Divine Meaning in Human Existence in the Poetry of T.S. Eliot and Sri Aurobindo

The first half of the Twentieth Century was a period of rapid progress and change. The industrialisation had made life convenient and development was witnessed in all the spheres of life. But advancements had its evil effects as there was enhancement in the destructive capabilities of man that was evident from the mass scale destruction during the First World War. Scientific and rational viewpoint dismissed religion and the very concept of any Divine purpose behind the entire creation. It was assumed that either there is no God or if there is one, He is indifferent to what was happening with mankind. There was disillusionment regarding the significance of life. All this was reflected in the literature written during that period. But T.S. Eliot in England and Sri Aurobindo in India, through their poetry affirmed their firm faith in the existence of God and His Divine plan in the Creation. The poetry of both the poets is a quest for the Divine meaning in human existence and its significance.