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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock






(1915)

Although “Prufrock” adopts the narrative voice of a middle-aged man, Eliot in fact completed this poem in 1911 when he was not quite 23. It was first published in 1915 and established the young Eliot as an important poet. The poem describes the speaker’s alienation and disillusionment in a lonely urban setting.

The epigraph from Dante’s Inferno suggests that what is said in the poem is not meant for the ears of anyone in the world, and it may also imply that Prufrock considers himself to be in a kind of modern hell. The poem’s tone is confessional, personal, and reflective, as Prufrock takes stock of his life and attempts to answer some “overwhelming question”. The title creates irony through the unlikely combination of the romantic suggestion of “love song” and the dull, unheroic sounding name (it is perhaps interesting that T. Stearns Eliot was an early form of the poet’s signature).

The “you and I” of the first line seems to indicate that Prufrock has two selves—the outward, public figure who attends social gatherings, and the inner philosopher contemplating the important questions of life. His inability to fuse the two into a coherent whole reflects his overwhelming timidity (“do I dare? ”).

As an illustration of this timidity, imagery of paralysis runs throughout the poem, beginning with the initial simile and continuing with suggestions of the repetition of existence (“For I have known them all already, known them all— / Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons...”), and the comparison of Prufrock to an insect pinned to a wall. Prufrock also reveals his insecurity, one contribution to which is certainly his isolation from society. The refrain “In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo” sets him apart from this type of social conversation; he is concerned with what “They” will say about him and does not want to “Disturb the universe”. He is particularly uncertain in the company of women (stanza 10).

Prufrock’s indecision is also key, and there is a

repeated motif of delay or hesitation (even if he is “not Prince Hamlet”—another expression of his feelings of inferiority). Prufrock questions even the purpose of a search for meaning, and there is plenty of miscommunication (“That is not what I meant at all. / That is not it, at all”; “It is impossible to say just what I mean! ”. Prufrock also seems to feel that his life has passed its prime (“I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker”) and is perhaps even afraid of death.

The poem is commonly read as a modernist text, because of its portrayal of Prufrock’s alienation, suggestions of meaninglessness (or at least of the difficulty of finding meaning), somewhat fragmented structure, and description of a disillusionment with modern society. It is also notable for its successful employment of free verse and significant allusions.

 


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