user: When writing fictional long form books, stories are normally structured. There are a number  of well know structures such as the three act structure. Can you provide me a list of story structures.

assistant: Sure, here are some common story structures used in long-form fiction writing:

   1. Three-Act Structure: This is one of the most commonly used structures in storytelling. The three acts are usually referred to as the Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution. The first act establishes the characters, setting, and conflict, the second act builds tension and conflict, and the third act brings the story to a resolution.

   2. Hero's Journey: This structure is based on the work of Joseph Campbell and involves the hero leaving their ordinary world, embarking on a journey filled with challenges and obstacles, and eventually returning home transformed. The structure typically involves 12 stages, including the Call to Adventure, Crossing the Threshold, Trials and Tribulations, and The Return.

   3. Save the Cat: This structure is based on the book "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder and involves the hero being introduced in a sympathetic way early on, facing a number of obstacles, and then achieving a satisfying resolution.

   4. Freytag's Pyramid: This structure involves dividing the story into five parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It is similar to the three-act structure but with more distinct stages.

   5. Seven-Point Story Structure: This structure involves seven key elements that must be present in a story: Hook, Plot Turn 1, Pinch Point 1, Midpoint, Pinch Point 2, Plot Turn 2, and Resolution. These elements help to keep the story moving forward and maintain momentum.

   6. Fichtean Curve: This structure involves dividing the story into five parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. It is similar to Freytag's Pyramid but with a focus on the emotional journey of the protagonist.

   7. In Medias Res: This structure involves starting the story in the middle of the action, rather than at the beginning. The reader is then taken back to the beginning of the story and led up to the opening scene.

These are just a few examples of the many different story structures that can be used in long-form fiction writing. Ultimately, the structure chosen will depend on the type of story being told and the author's personal preferences.

user: Through its portrayal of human experience, Eliot’s poetry reinforces the significance of desire. To what extent does your interpretation of Eliot’s poetry support this view? In your response, make detailed reference to at least TWO poems set from T.S. Eliot.

assistant: T.S. Eliot's poetry is renowned for its exploration of human experience and the role that desire plays in shaping our lives. Throughout his work, Eliot reinforces the significance of desire in a variety of ways, from highlighting its consequences to suggesting that the search for fulfillment is itself a form of desire. This response will delve deeper into Eliot's use of desire as a central theme in his poetry, focusing specifically on "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "The Waste Land."

In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," Eliot presents a speaker who is plagued by unfulfilled desires and a sense of loneliness and isolation. Prufrock is acutely aware of his own inadequacies and fears rejection from those he desires. He longs for intimacy and connection but feels paralyzed by his own sense of inadequacy. The poem's opening lines, "Let us go then, you and I, / When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table," highlight Prufrock's sense of paralysis and the sense that he is stuck in an unfulfilled existence.

Eliot portrays desire as a powerful force that shapes Prufrock's life, but ultimately leaves him unfulfilled. For instance, Prufrock ponders the possibility of being able to "force the moment to its crisis," but ultimately decides that such an action would be too risky. Throughout the poem, Eliot uses vivid imagery and sensory details to convey the emotional complexity of Prufrock's experience. Ultimately, the poem suggests that desire can lead to a sense of paralysis and unfulfillment when it is not acted upon.

Similarly, "The Waste Land" presents a world in which desire has been stripped of its meaning and purpose. The poem is set in the aftermath of World War I, and Eliot suggests that the devastation and loss of that conflict have left society adrift and lacking in purpose. The poem's many characters are all searching for meaning and fulfillment, but their desires are often misguided or unfulfilled. The character of Tiresias, for example, represents the search for knowledge and understanding, but even he is unable to fully comprehend the world around him.

Eliot portrays desire as a fundamental human need in "The Waste Land," but one that has been distorted by the trauma and destruction of the war. The poem's famous opening lines, "April is the cruelest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land," suggest that the cycle of death and rebirth is a powerful force that shapes human experience. Throughout the poem, Eliot uses a variety of literary techniques, including allusions to classical literature and religious texts, to explore the complex relationship between desire, trauma, and meaning-making.

In both "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "The Waste Land," Eliot portrays desire as a powerful force that shapes the human experience. However, he also suggests that desire can be a double-edged sword, leading to feelings of loneliness and despair when unfulfilled or misguided. Overall, Eliot's poetry reinforces the significance of desire in human life but suggests that the search for fulfillment is a complex and often difficult journey.

user: Can you expand on your explanation of The Waste Land?