The Hippopotamus - T.S. Eliot

While I was a looking for a topic, I found a certain poem that immediately called my attention just by its title. That one is, as the title says, The Hyppopotamus by T.S. Eliot, which says:

The broad-backed hippopotamus

Rests on his belly in the mud;

Although he seems so firm to us

He is merely flesh and blood.

Flesh-and-blood is weak and frail,

Susceptible to nervous shock;

While the True Church can never fail

For it is based upon a rock.

The hippo's feeble steps may err

In compassing material ends,

While the True Church need never stir

To gather in its dividends.

The 'potamus can never reach

The mango on the mango-tree;

But fruits of pomegranate and peach

Refresh the Church from over sea.

At mating time the hippo's voice

Betrays inflexions hoarse and odd,

But every week we hear rejoice

The Church, at being one with God.

The hippopotamus's day

Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts;

God works in a mysterious way--

The Church can sleep and feed at once.

I saw the 'potamus take wing

Ascending from the damp savannas,

And quiring angels round him sing

The praise of God, in loud hosannas.

Blood of the Lamb shall wash him clean

And him shall heavenly arms enfold,

Among the saints he shall be seen

Performing on a harp of gold.

He shall be washed as white as snow,

By all the martyr'd virgins kist,

While the True Church remains below

Wrapt in the old miasmal mist

As we see, we can`t help but notice some religious references in this poem, and I think it is important to know that Eliot was a devout member  of the Anglo-catholic church, an important fact if we want to understand this poem.

From my point of view, the hippopotamus represents mankind, and just like the poem says, the hippopotamus could be seen as a very strong and firm being to the eyes of the others, but in reality the hippopotamus is just flesh and blood, the hippopotamus is fragile, is susceptible to failure and it even has difficulties that will be impossible for him to overcome. On the other hand, we have the “True church” which the poem makes look like some sort of omnipotent being, an entity that is always right, that can overcome any obstacle and that it could represent “the word of God” or “true salvation” and that this hippopotamus must be leaded by this church. At this point we can imagine that Eliot is relating the True Church with the Anglo-Catholic church, and how this represents the true way of God, but actually by the end of the poem we can infer something different. The poem says that the hippopotamus takes wing and the true church remains below in the miasmal mist (or in another words, a toxic mist) that makes us think that this true church is not actually the Anglo-Catholic church, but a completely different one, and the hippopotamus taking wings may represent that this animal is “escaping” from this “true church” and is being washed from this one in order to be part of the real path of god, the Anglo-Catholic church.

So, what do you think of this poem? Do you agree or you believe it has a different meaning?