T.S Eliot
Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888–1965) is widely regarded as one of the most important English‑language poets of the 20th century. His work explored time, faith, memory and the complexities of modern life, and has inspired generations of readers and writers.
Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and developed a deep love of literature from an early age. He studied at Harvard University before moving to England in 1914, where he became part of the literary circles of London and forged friendships with writers such as Ezra Pound.
In 1918, while working in London and teaching in High Wycombe, Eliot lived in Marlow at 31 West Street. During his time here he wrote poems including Gerontion and early sections of The Waste Land, works that would become landmarks of modern poetry. The house where he stayed now forms part of the building that is home to The Vanilla Pod.
Eliot spent much of the rest of his life in England. He died in 1965 in Kensington, London, and is buried at St. Michael and All Angels Church in East Coker, Somerset - a place that also inspired one of his later poems.