Final answer:
The main idea of "The Hollow Men" revolves around spiritual emptiness, societal decline, and the quest for meaning in a superficial world. It draws on Platonic philosophy, suggesting humans are trapped in a false reality, and explores the implications of living in a world devoid of substance and connection.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the main ideas of "The Hollow Men" is the concept of spiritual emptiness and the decline of civilization. The poem reflects a profound despair and the sense that modern society is void of meaning and connection, symbolized through various images such as men who are "hollow," akin to soulless being.
Drawing parallels with Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the poem suggests that the men are entrapped in a false reality, mistaking shadows for substance, indicating a deeper philosophical contemplation on the nature of reality and truth.
The spiritual destitution is depicted as the greatest evil, where characters contend not only with physical poverty but with a more profound soul-starvation. This leads to contemplations of "wicked deeds," illustrating an inner turmoil and disconnectedness with the world around them.
Furthermore, the poem grapples with the idea of the past as well. The reflection on shadows being illusions of reality connects to the theme that memories and the past can similarly be distortions of what once was, binding individuals to what is ultimately impermanent and insubstantial.
This invokes the notion of existential crisis where characters seek to understand their place within a seemingly indifferent universe.