T.S. Eliot was an outstanding author and an exemplary representation of the ideas of modernism. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," despite being one of T.S Eliot's earliest publications, still manages to remain one of the most famous. He uses this poem to not only draw out the psychological aspect of members of modern society, but also to draw out the aspect of the time that he lived in. The speaker of this poem is a modern man who feels alone, isolated, and incapable of making decisive actions for himself. Prufrock desires to speak to a woman about his love for her, but he continuously hesitates while attempting to do so. This poem demonstrates a theme of fragmentation, which is a theme that we can see throughout the entire …show more content…
Despite his initial determination and desire to make his feeling knowns, Prufrock finally decides, in lines 111-131, that he doesn't have the willpower to declare his love. This lack of willpower is displayed in line 111 where Prufrock states: "I am not Prince Hamlet." He will not, like Shakespeare's famous character, shake off his doubts and "force the moment to its crisis" (80). Prufrock feels more like the character Polonius from the same Shakespearian work. He feels that he is only able to dream of romance, and never truly experience it for himself. Instead he will have his trousers rolled at the bottom as a statement of fashion and "walk upon the beach" (123). He follows up with a romantic vision of mermaids singing to him from the sea, but deep down he knows they will not sing to him. Prufrock is caught in a sort of paralysis where no matter how much he wishes to, he finds himself unable to act on his own impulses and desires. Because of this affliction, Prufrock will continue living in a world with daydreams of romance until he finds himself awakened by the human voices of real life in which, as very grimly states in the final line of the poem, he will drown. Prufrock is a man with many contradictive and fragmental characteristics. While one part of him would like to shake startle these characteristics out of his life, he would have to risk disturbing his peaceful universe in order to do so. The latter part of the poem
Detail 2: As can be deduced from the poem, Prufrock spends all of his time pondering how to behave, and to act in society, as he wants to become a man of action. Prufrock imagines himself achieving great things for himself and having everything he desires. Nonetheless, he cannot find a way to realize his wishes. Prufrock is well aware of his tragedy, and he makes sure the audience understands that he is a flawed man full of fears, whims and self-fancies. Again, just as we find in Hamlet’s character, Prufrock’s personality makes him cautious of acting towards any goal he might have, and his over-analytic persona makes him incapable of taking control of any situation. Prufrock explains his problems through a simple example from one of his failures. He recounts that he was incapable of asking a girl to date him, and despite his loving for her, he did nothing to make his love count.
From stanza 10, ‘Is it perfume from a dress/That makes me so digress?”Prufrock once again asks questions. Perfume and a dress, they are all possession coming from a woman. A heterosexual man should be feeling interested in a dress or a bottle of perfume but Prufrock does not feel this way. He feels as if those are the things that he is least interested in. He still does not know for sure that he is a homosexual. The last line of stanza 8 ,9 and 10 ,”So how should I presume?/And how should I presume?/And should I then presume?/And how should I begin?”It is seen that Prufrock is lost. He does not know his way. He does not know what to think. He is not sure if he should act base on how he feels or the rules from the
While having an perception on life and a wise priority set, Prufrock is unable to push himself to obtaining happiness. A change would be rough, but it would afford him the opportunity to live his life in a way that exemplifies his wisdom, not societies demands of him. Yet, due to his fear, he continues to give in to society and avoid his chance at happiness. Later on in his monologue, he is afforded a second chance to attain happiness. Now it is within the limitations of society – a relationship with a woman – but because of his fears of rejection, he ponders having the strength to force the moment to its crisis? and watches as happiness passes him by. Happiness can be attained, through self-government or a relationship, his fear hinders his action on both occasions. Furthermore, he incorrectly assumes that there will not be another chance to attain happiness. Prufrock’s failure is caused by his fear, which shatters his proven rationality and wisdom and renders him
At first glance lines forty-nine through sixty-one seem to be about him wanting death. This, however, is not the case. Furthermore, we see him asking himself what he should do if he does come out and tell people of his sexuality. He is weighing the possibilities and the reprocutions of his decision. He finnaly comes to the conclusion that evrything is alright now and he does not want to disturb this peacfulness. Line eighty-seven clearly tells us that he did not come out. Yet he is also second guessing his decision. No, he tells himself, it would not have been worth his own morality to ruin everyones perfect picture of himself. Prufrock would miss the boring events, or would he?
'I have measured out my life with coffee spoons'; (line 51), shows how Prufrock thinks of his own life, unexciting and unheroic. In his mind he has nothing to offer these women. He returns to wrestling with his thoughts that allow him to desire the love the women have to offer but talk himself out of the task by gentile reminders of the risk. He tells the reader that he knows these women and even begins to rehearse an opening remark, 'Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets / And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes'; (lines 70-71). This thought is quickly lost however as Prufrock imagines how easy it would be to be a creature that had no need for love, 'I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas'; (lines 73-74).
Throughout the entirety of the poem, Prufrock struggles with paralyzing inaction stemming from his self-doubt. This holds a large portion of Prufrock’s inability to gain clarity. An example of this self doubt is expressed when he stated, “[They will say; ‘how his hair is growing thin!’]... [They will say: ‘But
The reader can find the speaker relatable; Prufrock shows multiple sides to his character. In one way, Prufrock is trying to seem cool, calm, and collected; he wants the reader to think that he knows everything; however, the reader can tell that Prufrock is trying to be somebody he is not. Prufrock later lets his walls drop and he says that he has let “the moment of greatness flicker…” He is talking about his greatness; Prufrock wants his life to be stagnant, and with very little struggle. This means that his life will be complete boredom. I believe that people should take Prufrock’s life as a lesson of how not to live; his emotional distance reveals that he is a sad man and that life should not be motionless and focused on maintaining the status quo.
Eliot). T. S. Eliot’s “The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” is recognized as one of the most important poems of all time because almost everyone can identify with the insecurity of J. Alfred Prufrock at one time or other, which makes it very realistic.
The human psyche has perpetually been characterized by a nagging sense of doubt. When one makes the decision to follow through (or, rather, not follow through) with an action, it is unlikely that he does so without questioning whether he made the right choice; this is recurring theme in literature, evident in works such as Crime and Punishment and A Separate Peace. T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock explores the universal nature of hesitation and self-doubt as part of the human condition primarily through apt use of metaphor, syntax, and allusion.
T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is an ironic depiction of a man’s inability to take decisive action in a modern society that is void of meaningful human connection. The poem reinforces its central idea through the techniques of fragmentation, and through the use of Eliot’s commentary about Prufrock’s social world. Using a series of natural images, Eliot uses fragmentation to show Prufrock’s inability to act, as well as his fear of society. Eliot’s commentary about Prufrock’s social world is also evident throughout. At no point in the poem did Prufrock confess his love, even though it is called “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, but through this poem, T.S. Eliot voices his social commentary about the world that
When reading the title of T.S Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” it is believed we are in store for a poem of romance and hope. A song that will inspire embrace and warmth of the heart, regretfully this is could not be further from the truth. This poem takes us into the depths of J. Alfred Prufrock, someone who holds faltering doubt and as a result may never come to understand real love. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” takes us through Prufrock’s mindset and his self-doubting and self-defeating thoughts. With desolate imagery, a tone that is known through the ages and delicate diction we see a man who is insecure, tentative and completely fearful.
The Story of Prufrock starts out with him deciphering with himself if he should make this “change” in his life; he has always been a loner who only observes the world, instead of joining it, but
“And indeed there will be time” (23). Prufrock is musing about all the time there will be for gossip later. Again the yellow smoke slides down the street, tempting Prufrock to give in. With the gossip goes the gossipers and as they arrive back at their homes you see the yellow smoke of gossip “Rubbing its back upon the window-panes” (25). Now, Prufrock has time to think about what he has to do. In the poem he seems to be in a dream-like state. He is wondering, the rhythm in lines 26-34 gives me the impression that he is pacing the floor. He is preparing to meet someone, a woman, and he is conflicted about how to tell her what he must tell her. Prufrock feels overwhelmed by what he must do, and yet he is trying his best to focus on the task at hand. Just as
When looking at the poem ‘Prufrock’ we must first notice that the full title is ‘The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock.’ This title seems almost ironic as, after reading the poem, we realise that the poem
Prufrock’s inability to show and portray love is shown through the refrains and rhetorical questions,” there will be time” and “how should I presume?” which structurally reveal his inability to make progress in life as they recur regularly. Imagery of crab-like features such as, “a pair of ragged claws,” symbolizing his inability to move forward as crabs scuttle sideways while the synechoche stresses him as incomplete and broken. As a modernist poet, Eliot was contextually influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis with the portrayal of the character’s subconscious, enhancing my ability understand Prufrock’s inertia. His hyperbolic statement, “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” metaphorically signifies his fear of being into mundane social situations and routines if he joins his lady’s world, while the metaphor of being “pinned and wriggling on the wall” reveals his paralysis. This leads Prufrock to exist in a very imptent state which Cleanth Brooks argues is Eliot’s judgement on the whole culture”. Hence the context, language and perspectives of other on ‘Prufrock shape my personal view of the human experience of paralysis givng the peom an enduring