The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay

T.S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† draws attention to the idea that time is of the essence. On the surface, Prufrock is portrayed as a man who is incapable of making decisions and lacks self-confidence. This is evident through his passive nature, where he continuously delays having to talk to women because he believes there is enough time. Written in the era of modernism, the reader is capable of unraveling that the poem’s true purpose was not only to show Prufrock’s inability to make decisions when it comes to love, but to show the desolation that one faces in times of a modernistic transition. Eliot depicts Prufrock’s transition phase through a gloomy and solemn tone, incorporating imagery, metaphor and synecdoche to†¦show more content†¦Prufrock is described as a man who was not only detached from women but to his surroundings too. Prufrocks loneliness is emphasized when â€Å"In the room the women come and go/Talki ng of Michelangelo,† (35-36) where women would talk amongst themselves and completely ignore Prufrock’s existence. The purpose of referencing Michelangelo serves to emphasize how self-conscious Prufrock feels being as Michelangelo is recognized for his masterpieces that express the beauty of the human form. It is clear that Prufrock thinks otherwise of himself as he has to question his actions, such as when he say’s â€Å"‘Do I dare?’ and, â€Å"Do I dare?,† insinuating his inability to make a decision. Prufrock uses Hamlet to symbolize his indecisive nature through Shakespeare’s famous soliloquy â€Å"To Be Or Not To Be,† which is a reference that he, just like Hamlet, does not know what to do. Further, the reader is capable of understanding just how insecure Prufrock is when he say’s: â€Å"With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— [They will say: How his hair is growing thin!] My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin— [They will say: But how his arms and legs are thin!] (40-44). Lines 40-44 suggest that not only is Prufrock lacking confidence and unable to approach women, but he is getting older too, as time continues to pass. A bald spot in the middle of a man’s head, theShow MoreRelated The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay example1535 Words   |  7 PagesThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot The poetry of the modernist movement is characterized by an emphasis on the alienation of the individual from the broader community in which he or she exists. In the works of T. S. 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In your answer refer closely to two poems by T.S. Eliot. T.S Eliot’s Preludes and The Love Song of J.Alfred. Prufrock, are examples of modernist poetry which illustrate the concerns of modernist poets. The modern era, which lasted between 1885 to 1940Read MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1647 Words   |  7 Pagescan be seen in T.S. Eliot’s work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The main character, Prufrock, plans to ask the woman he loves the overwhelming question of marriage, but due to his pessimistic outlook, he became hesitant and self conscious. Surges of insecurity arise, and instead of proposing his love, Prufrock delays the question and spends the night talking nonsense to avoid the situation. In the end, Prufrock’s insecurities and fear of rejection alter his feelings of love into a sense ofRead MoreThe Long Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot822 Words   |  3 PagesT.S. Eliot characterizes his speaker in â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† based on his own personal experiences. In 1915, Eliot wrote one of his most famous poems as a skeptic (Schneider 1103). He constantly questioned the meaning of human life an d the reasons why human beings were created at all. In the same way, Prufrock also has a difficult time in finding the purpose of his long life. The speaker of this poem takes the reader on a journey so that maybe the listener can aid him in findingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe dramatic monologue, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, is a short poem written by the Nobel Prize winner, and scholar T.S. Eliot. He wrote this poem and published it in the Poetry Magazine in 1915, while he was still in college at Washington University in St. Louis. Eliot is one of the most important English- language writers of the 20th century, and he lived in St Louis at an early age being raised by his mother. His mother was both loving and manipulative, and from that, a lonely and strict