The love song of j. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock 2022-10-09

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Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, written by T. S. Eliot in 1915, is a poem that centers around the musings and inner turmoil of its eponymous protagonist, J. Alfred Prufrock. Through the use of stream of consciousness and shifting perspectives, Eliot effectively portrays Prufrock as a deeply insecure and self-conscious individual struggling with his own inadequacies and his inability to connect with others.

The poem begins with an invocation of the ancient Greek figure, Tiresias, who was both a man and a woman and thus able to see both sides of human experience. This immediately establishes the theme of duality and the idea that Prufrock is struggling to find his place in the world. He is caught between the expectations of society and his own desires, leading to feelings of inadequacy and isolation.

Prufrock's self-doubt and lack of confidence are further highlighted through the use of imagery and symbolism throughout the poem. For example, he compares himself to a "pair of ragged claws" and a "transparent eye," suggesting that he feels insignificant and easily overlooked. He also uses the metaphor of a "speechless dial" to describe his inability to communicate his feelings, reinforcing the idea that he is trapped within his own thoughts and unable to connect with others.

One of the central themes of the poem is Prufrock's fear of rejection and his inability to take action in the face of it. He contemplates whether he should "dare" to speak to the woman he is attracted to, and ultimately decides against it, believing that she would not be interested in him. This fear of rejection and lack of confidence in his own worth is a recurring theme throughout the poem and serves to highlight Prufrock's feelings of inadequacy and isolation.

Despite these feelings of self-doubt and insecurity, Prufrock ultimately longs for connection and intimacy. He imagines himself as a "pair of ragged claws" scuttling across the floors of silent seas, suggesting a desire to escape his solitude and find someone to share his life with. However, he also recognizes that this desire may be futile, as he concludes the poem with the line "I have measured out my life in coffee spoons," implying that he has resigned himself to a life of loneliness and solitude.

In conclusion, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a powerful and poignant poem that effectively portrays the inner turmoil and self-doubt of its protagonist, J. Alfred Prufrock. Through the use of stream of consciousness and shifting perspectives, Eliot effectively conveys Prufrock's struggle to find his place in the world and his fear of rejection and inadequacy. Ultimately, the poem serves as a poignant reminder of the human desire for connection and the struggles we all face in trying to find our place in the world.

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

the love song of j

This would emphasize his own loneliness and need for company. I know the voices: Prufrock recognizes the voices of the ladies who were singing in the restaurant. Their arms are braceleted, white and uncovered, but when seen against the lamp light, the arms are covered with brown hair. The overall tone is more of a melody of the satirical nature of life itself while the undertones have more of a feel of the rhythm of good and evil underneath this satirical life. He dresses smartly, smiles to ladies but he is unable to express his inner state. He would begin his talk with his fiance by mentioning his friends who are lonely, in need of companionship. He laments his lack of assertiveness and courage and wishes he could be more like the heroic figures of literature.

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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: Summary & Analysis

the love song of j

Alfred Prufrock" was the first in the volume. Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows? Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl. These streets follow a winding course like a tedious argument of concealed desire and ultimately lead you to an important question. I was diffident and nervous and could not speak out. I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. New York: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1988. So how should I presume? New York City: 978-0035510705.


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the love song of j. alfred prufrock

the love song of j

He wishes to be some sea-fish - say; a crab-who runs quickly across the sea-bed with its rough claws, fearing some danger. Retrieved 23 April 2007. In The Waste Land, crabs become rats, and the optimism disappears, but here Eliot seems to assert only the limitless potential of scavenging. Marmalade: a kind of jam. Do I dare disturb the universe? Similarly, Prufrock doesn't believe that anyone will care about his story, so he feels equally free to admit his embarrassment, awkwardness, and alienation. This modernist poem is narrated by the titular character, a middle-aged, intellectually-inclined man living in a city, structured as a monologue, with Prufrock addressing an unknown listener and expressing his thoughts and feelings about himself and the world around him. I have known the arms of women Prufrock is very familiar with the society women of the day.

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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Analysis

the love song of j

And should I then presume? With a bald spot in the middle of my hair: People will observe the bald spot in the middle of his hair. In spite of his melancholy and his tendency toward dramatic monologue, Prufrock does not believe himself to be worthy of a starring role in life, instead relegating himself to a supporting, subservient role as an attendant lord. He has also been intimate with some of them. Yet, he lacks moral courage to speak out his mind to his beloved. The second is the date of publication online or last modification online.

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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Summary

the love song of j

Although it is mysterious as much of his works are, there are no questions posed here, leading one to believe that Eliot had become more comfortable and less anxious in his own life at this time. And I have on the wall: Prufrock knows the women in the room. American Poetry: The Rhetoric of Its Forms. A Guide to the Selected Poems of T. The first line of the poem "Let us go then you and I" may suggest that it is a dialogue between two persons but it is not so. Infact, Prufrock wants to look young and fashionable and to hide his old age in order to be acceptable to his lady-love.

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

the love song of j

He reaches the restaurant, where he finds the society ladies discussing Michael Angelo. It is probable that he was in a state in his youth that he wondered if lustful feelings could be carried on with a loving a stable relationship. Restless Nights: The people who cannot afford paying for good hotels, spend their nights in cheap hotels, but they do not get adequate rest and sleep. The yellow fog that rubs is back upon the window panes: The fog is compared to a cat which rubs its back upon the window-panes. In that case, he would be wriggling on a wall fixed with a pin. No doubt this question is posed by many young men and his articulation and smoky, stylistically unique version of this question makes this poem a classic. The matter: the marriage proposal.

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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

the love song of j

An unsigned review in The Harvard Vocarium at Prufrock and other poems in 1947, as part of its ongoing series of poetry readings by its authors. It contains a lot of smoke which too covers the window panes. Outside his consciousness, like a patient lying etherized upon a table. In that, the reader is granted the power to do as he pleases with Prufrock's love song. In Myers, Jack; Wojahan, David eds. Though I have wept, fasted and prayed, I imagined that my head has been cut and brought in a platter.

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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Full Text

the love song of j

The Symbolists, too, privileged the same kind of individual Eliot creates with Prufrock: the moody, urban, isolated-yet-sensitive thinker. To lead you: To take you to. This also fits into the theme of otherness present throughout the poem. That is not it, at all. The very first line could have come through from Donne. For I have mornings, afternoons: Prufrock knows their nature and activities.

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Introduction #1: “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” Essay Example

the love song of j

Summary of The Long Song Although poetic devices are the same as literary devices, some are specifically used in poems. Eliot: An Intensive Study of Selected Poems New Delhi: Spectrum Books Pvt. The reader must make assumptions about if the time Eliot refers to is real or more a dream-like allusion to a sense of philosophical confusion as to how real love is defined in relation to lust. I am not Prince Am an attendant lord, one that will do To swell a progress, start a scene or two, Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool, Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic, cautious, and meticulous; Full of high At times, indeed, almost ridiculous— Almost, at times, the Fool. It picks up on the previous water imagery "silent seas,""pools" and adds a fantastical element. The fog allows the particles of smoke and dust which come from the chimney of factories, to settle on its back.

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