Prufrock Drowns in a Sea of Insecurity Essay - 1790 Words

In The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, T. S. Eliot reveals the silent insecurity of a man, for whom the passing of time indicates the loss of virility and confidence. Throughout the poem, Prufrock struggles with his fear of inadequacy, which surfaces socially, physically and romantically. The desire to ask some overwhelming question, of the one he wants is outweighed by his diffidence, reinforcing his belief in his shortcomings. Ultimately, this poem is the internal soliloquy of someone who attempts to know what he wants and how to get it, but whose social paralysis and lack of self-assuredness prevents either of these possibilities. Eliot begins the poem with an epigraph from Dantes Inferno. If I thought that my reply would†¦show more content†¦He and his yet unidentified company, presumably the love interest later addressed in the poem, go through certain half deserted streets...that follow like a tedious argument with insidious intent, while recounting restless nights in one-night cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells. The memories of oysters and nights spent together juxtapose the cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants in a way that sets the tone for the rest of the poem-- a reasonable desire and pursuit of happiness, with an inevitable realization of inadequacy. This inadequacy is Prufrocks ultimate fear. The patient etherized upon a table represents Prufrock wanting to divulge his secret desires to his companion, but being prevented from doing so by his own woeful insecurities. Eliot continues first by introducing a couplet that is repeated later in the poem. The repetitions of the women [who] come and go talking of Michelangelo signify the social life lead by Prufrock. These women are seen again later in the poem, but are then also representing the seemingly slowed yet continuous flow of time outside ones own thoughts. The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window panes...and curled about the house and fell asleep is another repeated image in the poem. The personification of the fog allowsShow MoreRelatedImagery And Symbolism Buried Deep Within `` The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock904 Words   |  4 PagesLove Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† In The Love Song by T.S. Eliot, the imagery and symbolism that are shown have a deeper meaning than one may realize. At the beginning of the poem, Eliot uses an epigraph from Dante’s Inferno, which ultimately can be taken as Prufrock referring to how his self-doubt and 1over thinking are a living hell for him. Throughout the poem, Prufrock is in a daydream state of mind, until the very end when someone brings him back to reality and he drowns. In The Love Song of JRead MoreA Competitive Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1014 Words   |  4 Pagespoem, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† (1915), and F. Scott Fitzgerald who wrote his famous novel, The Great Gatsby (1925). Both Eliot and Fitzgerald criticized the spiritual emptiness in their society by revealing their characters inability to communicate, to love, and to see the truth about their own lives. Eliot and Fitzgeralds characters are unable to communicate because of their spiritual emptiness. In T.S. Eliots â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† this lack of communication mainlyRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1072 Words   |  5 Pages We may never be given a second chance to do something daring ever again so we seize the day! 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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. â€Å"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 asRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1928 Words   |  8 PagesIn â€Å" ‘Till Human Voices Wake Us and We Drown’: Community in ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’,† James Haba contends that the repeated use of â€Å"you†, â€Å"we†, and â€Å"us† in T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† creates a personal ambience around the reader and Prufrock. Because of this, Haba argues that Eli ot’s use of personal pronouns and references produces a sense of community and intimacy between the reader and Prufrock (53), even though Prufrock seemingly struggles with emotions ofRead MoreThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a Poem Written by T. S. Eliot1058 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† is a poem written by T. S. Eliot in 1911. Prufrock is a fictional character with the poets intended audience being fictional as well. In this poem, Eliot uses multiple forms and meters in this monologue, rhyming couplets that have a song like quality while other lines are more like a free verse with no regular meter. Along with blank verse, the poet uses iambic meter which is also used by one of Eliot’s favorite authors, Shakespeare. This poem dramatizesRead MoreEssay on Prufrock by Eliot1209 Words   |  5 PagesPrufrock by Eliot In his poem Eliot paints the picture of an insecure man looking for his niche in society. Prufrock has fallen in with the times, and places a lot of weight on social status and class to determine his identity. He is ashamed of his personal appearance and looks towards social advancement as a way to assure himself and those around him of his worth and establish who he is. Throughout the poem the reader comes to realize that Prufrock has actually all but given up on himselfRead MoreAnalysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1836 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"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. E liot does not portray in a very good light. T. S Eliot’s creation of a depressing mood, powerfulRead More Distress in The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock - The Distress of J.Alfred Prufrock The human psyche is divided into three distinct aspects: the Persona, the Shadow, and the Anima/Animus; at least, it is according to Jungian Psychology. Drawing heavily on the theories developed by Freud, Jungs psychological concepts tell us that if these three facets are not properly integrated - that is, if one of the three is overly dominant, or repressed, or all three are in conflict with each other - then an individualsRead MoreAnalysis Of. Eliot s Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock967 Words   |  4 PagesIn T.S. Eliot’s Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Prufrock invites the reader on a journey with him through his story of love, or love that never was. He speaks to the reader as his love lost and asks her to stick with him on his journey through time, to learn why their love never transpired. He begins by showing her his decisions as a young adult, optimistic and confident in time, to prepare for her. Time goes by, he is now middle aged and insecure of his appearance, now in fear of her rejection