The Love Song of J.

Alfred Prufrock
T.S. Eliot

Lets read the poem!

Notice

the poems lack of structure, Prufrocks habit of wasting time, and his anxiety upon entering a social gathering.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock By: T.S. Eliot

Prufrock wants the reader (you) to travel with him. The reader is the silent listener. Prufrock goes on a journey; he wishes to go to a party to talk to women. One major theme is Prufrocks emasculation (loss of power and masculinity).

The journey begins in an undesirable city. The city is sterile, deadly, bleak, and empty. What can this indicate?

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock By: T.S. Eliot

Prufrock is in hell! The poem represents his downward decent (a social death)! Prufrock is staring in the window outside the party; he is unable to enter the social gathering. Michelangelo = David: very masculine A cat is portrayed in the third stanza; Prufrock also represents the cat staring from the outside. Also, cats generally have feminine characteristics (emasculation). Prufrock continues his paralysis; he does not enter the party. He makes excuses; he procrastinates.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock By: T.S. Eliot

Prufrock worries that other people will notice his imperfections. Eliot incorporates silly rhyme to portray Prufrock as a child. Time reference: evenings, mornings, afternoons. Prufrock has a disordered sense of time. Evening to morning = plunge! Prufrock is nervous that all eyes are staring at him. He describes himself as an insect pinned on a wall. Theres no use for the body, arms or legs; focus on the eyes!

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock By: T.S. Eliot

Again, Prufrock cannot advance in time. He is stalling, stuttering, and anxious. Notice the use of the word and. Another animal reference: crabs are pathetic. They do not move forward, they move backwards.

Prufrock cannot advance; he continues his decent into hell (death)!

The next sections deal with Prufrock thinking about awkward conversations with women and being rejected at the party. Would it have been worth it? Prufrock suffers from social paralysis - -

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock By: T.S. Eliot

Prufrock is self-aware; he understands that he is not Prince Hamlet. Another Shakespearean reference : Fool. Prufrock is paralyzed, but time is not. He grows older. He is still stalling; he is running out of time (death).

Peach Chinese symbol for marriage and immortality.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock By: T.S. Eliot

The mermaids in the poem represent women who ignore Prufrock. Water (in this instance) = death Drown = decent to hell; death Prufrock, like the poem, is fragmented, broken, and chaotic. Prufrock overanalyzes little things: toast, tea, clothes, hair Do I dare disturb the universe?

Prufrock never enters the party.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock By: T.S. Eliot

Question for reflection: Was Prufrocks journey successful? Was it a waste?