Various critics have honored me by interpreting the poem as a critique of the present, even reading a considerable amount of social criticism into it. For me, it was merely a vent for a private and quite trivial grievance against life; it is simply a piece of rhythmic whining. Thus, an author, as understandable as it is inappropriate and futile, defends himself against the fame he has received for this very poem, The Waste Land. Published in 1922, it is the long poem of the 20th century, certainly the one with the greatest impact in the Western world. A look at Norbert Hummelt's lively rhythmic, direct translation and the original makes it easy to understand why. Following the Puritan tradition of American literature - through Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson, and Whitman - Eli.