"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," written by T.S. Eliot in 1915, is a poem that delves into the inner turmoil and feelings of inadequacy of the speaker, J. Alfred Prufrock. Through the use of literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, and metaphor, Eliot portrays Prufrock as a lonely, isolated, and indecisive character who is unable to connect with others and lacks self-confidence.
The poem begins with Prufrock introducing himself as "an ordinary man," who is "measuring out [his] life in coffee spoons." This imagery of mundane, everyday tasks serves to emphasize Prufrock's ordinariness and lack of grandiosity. The use of the word "coffee spoons" also suggests a sense of boredom and routine, as coffee is often associated with a daily routine or a pick-me-up.
Prufrock's isolation is further emphasized through the use of imagery in the line "I have measured out my life in coffee spoons." The use of the word "measured" suggests that Prufrock's life is limited and confined, and the fact that he is measuring it out in coffee spoons rather than something more significant further adds to his feelings of insignificance. This idea is further developed in the line "I am the curator of the Museum of Human Kindness," where Prufrock compares himself to a curator, suggesting that he is disconnected from the world and observing it from a distance.
Symbolism is also used to convey Prufrock's feelings of isolation and indecisiveness. The "overwhelming question" that Prufrock refers to throughout the poem symbolizes the internal struggle and uncertainty he faces. Prufrock is unable to make a decision or take action, as he says "Do I dare, and do I dare?" This symbolizes Prufrock's fear of rejection and his inability to connect with others.
The use of metaphor in the line "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each" serves to further emphasize Prufrock's isolation and detachment from the world. Mermaids are mythical creatures that are often associated with the sea, and the use of this metaphor suggests that Prufrock is cut off from the world and unable to connect with others.
In conclusion, T.S. Eliot uses imagery, symbolism, and metaphor in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" to portray the speaker, J. Alfred Prufrock, as a lonely, isolated, and indecisive character who lacks self-confidence and is unable to connect with others. Through these literary devices, Eliot conveys the inner turmoil and feelings of inadequacy that Prufrock experiences.
T.S Eliot “The Love song Of J Alfred Prufrock” Analysis
In the world Prufrock describes, though, no such sympathetic figure exists, and he must, therefore, be content with silent reflection. Prufrock himself is responsible for this boredom because he has a complex which makes him regret his own inadequacy, and his indecisive nature, which is frightened of making decisions. It is clear that the actions of everyday life bring great turmoil to Prufrock. Meaning that rejection is like dying. Although it may be that reference, in the opening stanza, to oyster shells that brings a seaside town like Boston to mind. His personality and identity are clearly evident in the poem, with a withdrawn and introverted guy who is socially challenged, self conscious, insecure about himself, yet yearns for others to recognize him. Through this imagery, the speaker imagines his failure to win over the woman he loves as the literal death of him.
6 Most Important Allusions In Prufrock
The references come from varied texts, including the Bible, Dante, Chaucer, and Greek philosophers, but Eliot especially focuses on Shakespeare. The writer also says that he is from Boston based on references to Cambridge both near the beginning and at the end of the poem. At the end of the poem, this oceanic imagery returns, with Prufrock hearing the song of the mermaids but thinking that they would not sing to him, only to each other. This thorough account of the setting allows us to deduce that Prufrock accustomed with this city or at least parts of it. But we cannot advance much more than this with real confidence. He is frustrated and powerless to get over his thwarted wishes and disenchantment. That question is what ultimately kept Prufrock from ever acting.
Prufrock Analysis Essay Essay
Eliot sustained his interest in fragmentation and its applications throughout his career, and his use of the technique changes in important ways across his body of work: Here, the subjects undergoing fragmentation and reassembly are mental focus and certain sets of imagery; in The Waste Land, it is modern culture that splinters; in the Four Quartets we find the fragments of attempted philosophical systems. He is, by his own admission, not Hamlet, only some officious fool. All is not as it seems. The city is a part of this person and this shows that there is a very intense bond between the two. Although deeply affected by external societal issues industrialization, imperialism, war , modernist style primarily focuses on personal psyche. LOUIS, Missouri, the Eliots were a prominent, upper-middle-class family. The ball is ultimately a symbol that points to the inconceivability of the world, not to romance or heroism.
