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

The 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. Eliot, this alienation is expressed as a symptom of spiritual and moral decay within communities, societies, and entire civilizations. Eliot’s modernism, which was strongly influenced by his conversion to Anglo-Catholicism, is a harsh critique of the pervasive self-obsession of the modern secular world. In any discussion of modernist poetry, it is crucial to remember that technology was advancing at a rapid pace during the beginning of the twentieth century. Mechanical inventions, from electric†¦show more content†¦In this regard, he represents the pathetic everyman of the modern world. Prufrock is a cowardly, narcissistic, neurotic cipher of a person. He is spiritually bankrupt, and therefore alienated from everyone around him. The poem itself, which superficially appears to be no more than a random accumulation of stream-of-consciousness images, is Prufrock’s secret confession of his own feelings of shame, worthlessness and inadequacy. The first stanza, which is an un-translated quotation of Dante, is from a scene in the Inferno when one of the damned, consumed in a column of fire, reveals information to Dante that he would hesitate to disclose if not for his certainty that no one else will ever learn it (Cousineau). His certainty is based on the fact that no one has ever escaped from his depth of the inferno. Likewise, Prufrock confesses his innermost thoughts and neuroses only because he believes that none of his social circle will ever learn his secrets. The repetition of the lines â€Å"In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michelangelo† sets a tone of ennui. The reader can envision upper-class matrons strolling through a museum, prattling about Renaissance art because they have nothing better to discuss. With this existential image, Eliot presents modern life as an incessant parade of days and nights spent in idle chatter. Because people no longer have any meaningful connections to one another,Show MoreRelatedThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay914 Words   |  4 PagesT.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 cap able of unraveling that the poem’s true purpose was not only to show Prufrock’s inability toRead MoreThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay1156 Words   |  5 Pages S. Eliot was the dominant force in twentieth-century British and American poetry. With poems such as The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, he introduced an edgy, disenchanted, utterly contemporary version of French Symbolism to the English-speaking world. Most poets recognize that in producing a sensational poetic work, many concerns arise with the use of various literary tools to convey ideas, opinions or simply an observation. Through vivid imagery and metaphors, TS Elliot in his â€Å"The Love SongRead Moreâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is a widely studied and analyzed modernist1300 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is a widely studied and analyzed modernist poem. This poem is one that many high school students are subjected to, leading to an overall displeasure for â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† However, those that revisit the poem are more inclined to enjoy and analyze the poem, finding an interest in the character of J. Alfred Prufrock. Charles C. Walcutt is one of the many individuals fueled to provide a deeper analysis of this text and in his contributionRead MoreT.S. Eliot - the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Preludes - Modernism1143 Words   |  5 PagesHow has Eliot used both conventional and Modernist poetic techniques to represent his Modernist concerns? The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Preludes expresses Eliot’s Modernist concerns about the lack of morals and values in modern society through the use of personas within the urban landscape and the urban society. Modern man’s lifestyle of repetition of trivial tasks and the lack of meaningful things in life is represented and emphasised through the use of alliteration, metaphor, fragmentationRead MoreA Competitive Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. 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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 More T.S Eliot’s Preludes and The Love Song of J.Alfred. Prufrock, are examples1059 Words   |  5 PagesT.S Eliot’s Preludes and The Love Song of J.Alfred. Prufrock, are examples of modernist poetry which illustrate the concerns of modernist poets. Explain how the poetry you have studied reflects some of the major concerns of its context? 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