Explication of T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

In his poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T.S. Eliot subtly conveys a wide variety of Prufrock’s emotions; he creates pathos for the speaker by employing the “objective correlative,” which Eliot defines as “a set of objects, a situation, a chain of events [that] shall be the formula of that particular emotion” (“Hamlet and His Problems”).

Prufrock's fear to live never allowed him to accomplish anything. The issue of death emerged again in lines 26-27. In these lines Eliot said, "There will be time, there will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet."(ll. 26-27 Eliot) This statement showed that Prufrock spent the majority of his time preparing for death. In lines 37-39 Eliot said, "And indeed there will be time to wonder, 'Do I dare?' and 'Do I dare?' time to turn back and descend the stair."(ll. 37-39 Eliot) This line showed that Prufrock felt that he was bound to Hell. Prufrock constantly lived in fear of death. This fear caused him to not be able to live. In the second section Prufrock realized the error of his ways. He came to the understanding that being afraid to live was no way to live his life. Eliot summed up the entire reasoning of Prufrock in the following line, "And in short, I was afraid."(l 86 Eliot) Prufrock spent his entire life in a wasteland, because he did not have the courage to live. At this point he knew that there was no opportunity to regain the years that he lost. In lines 92-98 Eliot said, "To have squeezed the universe into a ball To roll it towards some overwhelming question, To say: 'I am Lazarus, come from the dead, Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all'- If one, settling pillow by her head, Should say: 'That is not what I meant at all. That is not it, at all.'"(ll. 92-98 Eliot) These lines showed how

In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” the reader can clearly understand that T.S Eliot is straightforward as one can get within a poem. In the beginning of the poem, one can infer that Prufrock is being used as a facade to convey Eliot’s inner self who is an introvert that doesn’t quite fit in with the modern day society. “Prufrock” sees his personal life as a burden that he cannot mend while he tries to conform into the middle class society that everyone views as pristine. Meanwhile, being scrutinized by others he has also deemed himself as weak and unworthy of life. We are choosing to shed light on Eliot 's inadequate personal life and on how others perceive him as well as how he perceives himself, within

J. Alfred Prufrock has internalized all comments others have made about him – regarding his appearance and age – which in turn influence his thoughts throughout the poem. J. Alfred Prufrock describes his dislike in himself, in his appearance, such that he feels he looks too old. J. Alfred Prufrock repeatedly returns to his appearance such as, while lamenting over his decision, when he describes “a bald spot in the middle of [his] hair” (Eliot 7. 40), demonstrative of his feelings that he looks too old. He then goes on to say “(They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin’)” (Eliot 7. 41), in reference to others who have made comments about him. J. Alfred

'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).

Individuals strive to be a part of the dominant culture in their society by being a member of the governing group who is in the majority or has more power than other groups. No one wants to be an outcast from their society because they do not fit into the mainstream social customs. Being that the dominant culture is accepted without any opposition, when members of groups that are not a part of this already established culture are presented the possibility of conflicts or tensions might arise. Either the individual themselves will feel a developed sense of anxiety over what others will think or the rest of society will decide that they must do something to deal with this individual’s status. The characters of Homer in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” and Prufrock in T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” are both portrayed as cultural outsiders. Although the reason that they are seen as cultural outsiders is different, neither one of the characters is truly accepted by the rest of the societies that they live in. Therefore, both characters represent an individual who stands outside what is accepted by the majority of the population, which results in varying tensions that are dealt with in their corresponding works.

An nervous middle school student confessing to his childhood crush, this is the character of one Alfred J. Prufrock. T. S Eliot stylistic masterpiece “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a poem that conveys this complex emotion. The way Eliot displays Prufrock’s cowardice and hesitation within his poem are well renowned for his unique phrasing and symbolism. While his diction and imagery are so detailed and well written, it is the repetition and his syntax which sets the foundation for T. S Eliot’s unique style.

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.

T.S Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is an examination of human insecurity and folly, embodied in the title's J. Alfred Prufrock. Eliot's story of a man's "overwhelming question", his inability to ask it, and consequently, his mental rejection plays off the poem's many ambiguities, both structural and literal. Eliot uses these uncertainties to develop both the plot of the poem and the character of J. Alfred Prufrock.

T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is inhabited by both a richly developed world and character and one is able to categorize the spaces in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” to correspond to Prufrock’s mind. Eliot uses the architecture of the three locations described in the text to explore parts of Prufrock's mind in the Freudian categories of id, ego, and super-ego; the city that is described becomes the Ego, the room where he encounters women his Id and the imagined ocean spaces his Super Ego.

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot is a poem I would not recommend anyone still trying to hang on to his or her youth. T. S. Eliot’s poem, about a man named J. Alfred Prufrock, is a pessimistic poem looking at the seemingly wasted life of an aging man. The poem is told from the viewpoint of a very sad man named J. Alfred Prufrock. The poem takes place in the city of St. Louis, which T. S. Eliot does not portray in a very good light. T. S Eliot’s creation of a depressing mood, powerful metaphors, and the character of J. Alfred Prufrock all result in a very disheartening poem, not enjoyable to the middle-aged reader, especially male readers.

“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

Karl Marx’s perspective thus pertinently illustrates the alienation of the modern individual from the self and their surroundings as a direct cause of their socio-economic circumstance. T.S Eliot’s poetry established him as one of the most eminent modernist poets; attempting to free himself from the constraints of the Victorian movement which pre-dated him, this is evident in the free verse and stream of consciousness narrative style of ‘The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock’. In doing so, Eliot turned his attention towards the plight of the individual, opting for the ambiguous protagonists in his poetry and exploring the often desolate and depressive urban landscape of the time through the inner workings of an individuals mind. Following on from this, throughout the poem, Eliot conveys a sense of the individual conscience as conditioned by society, through exploring the inner workings of the persona of J.Alfred Prufrock. Prufrock’s lack of identity and freedom in the face of society appears to be the predominant issue he faces, as he wanders the ‘half-deserted streets’, signifying scenes of decay and degradation to the reader, of which the most telling is the “sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells”, a stark contrasting comparison of the lower class, “sawdust” covered floors with the elitist imagery of an “oyster”.

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