Examples Of Figurative Language In The Lovesong Of J Alfred Prufrock

The first stanza introduces Prufrock’s isolation, as epitomized metaphorically by “half-deserted streets” (4): while empty streets imply solitude, Eliot’s diction emphasize Prufrock having been abandoned by the other “half” needed for a relationship or an “argument” (8). Hoping for a companion, Prufrock speaks to the reader when

When reading the title of T.S Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” it is believed we are in store for a poem of romance and hope. A song that will inspire embrace and warmth of the heart, regretfully this is could not be further from the truth. This poem takes us into the depths of J. Alfred Prufrock, someone who holds faltering doubt and as a result may never come to understand real love. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” takes us through Prufrock’s mindset and his self-doubting and self-defeating thoughts. With desolate imagery, a tone that is known through the ages and delicate diction we see a man who is insecure, tentative and completely fearful.

American born poet, T.S. Eliot reflects modernistic ideas of isolation, individual perception and human consciousness in his many poems. His poems express the disillusionment of the post–World War I generation with both literary and social values and traditions. In one of Eliot’s most famous poems, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” which was published in 1915, a speaker who is very unhappy with his life takes readers on a journey through the hell he is living in. In this journey, Prufrock criticizes the well-dressed, upstanding citizens who love their material pleasures more than they love other people, while explaining he feels ostracized from the society of women. Eliot’s use of isolation, human consciousness and individual perception is quite evident in his dramatic monologue within the story of J. Alfred Prufrock. Prufrock wants to be seen as a normal citizen who can find friends or a lover, but his anxiety-driven isolation forces him to live a life that relates more to Hell than paradise. In over examining every fine detail of his life, Prufrock perceives himself as useless and even a waste of life. By using many poetic devices including repetition, personification, and imagery Eliot drives readers to feel the painful reality of Prufrock’s life. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T.S Eliot uses modernistic ideas and poetic devices to portray how Prufrock’s life relates to Hell while simultaneously criticizing social aspects of the younger post–World War I generation.

T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is an ironic depiction of a man’s inability to take decisive action in a modern society that is void of meaningful human connection. The poem reinforces its central idea through the techniques of fragmentation, and through the use of Eliot’s commentary about Prufrock’s social world. Using a series of natural images, Eliot uses fragmentation to show Prufrock’s inability to act, as well as his fear of society. Eliot’s commentary about Prufrock’s social world is also evident throughout. At no point in the poem did Prufrock confess his love, even though it is called “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, but through this poem, T.S. Eliot voices his social commentary about the world that

How does The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock reflect T.S.Eliot's concerns about the modern world?

   Upon reading Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the first question which sprang to my mind was the question of how Eliot, a poet who was in his mid-twenties at the time, was able to write a poem dealing with the problems of aging in such a penetrating manner. Upon closer examination, however, I realized that Prufrock's aging was only incidental to his central problem. Prufrock's major problem is a problem of existential anguish. Prufrock's doubts about aging at a dinner party are merely one example of this anguish, and this party brings his psychology into sharp focus when the reader examines closely the moment in which the poem's events occur.

'I have measured out my life with coffee spoons'; (line 51), shows how Prufrock thinks of his own life, unexciting and unheroic. In his mind he has nothing to offer these women. He returns to wrestling with his thoughts that allow him to desire the love the women have to offer but talk himself out of the task by gentile reminders of the risk. He tells the reader that he knows these women and even begins to rehearse an opening remark, 'Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets / And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes'; (lines 70-71). This thought is quickly lost however as Prufrock imagines how easy it would be to be a creature that had no need for love, 'I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas'; (lines 73-74).

Modernism has created a world that has the ability to adapt to the standards of society. The poem “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Elliot, is a dramatic monologue which talks explicitly about a modern man named J. Alfred Prufrock who is from the late nineteenth century and early twentieth, during a transitional era of traditional norms to modernism. Throughout the poem, Prufrock has an unknown factor pertaining him; his view on his life has a way of illustrating to his readers a pure uncertainty with who he is as a person, something which is outrageous because he develops a specific view on women in the poem. Since, he likes a women in the monologue, Prufrock feels a need to be very specific on what he is doing with her and when is he going to do it. By doing this, he finds a way to find out who he is as a person in society. In the poem, “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S Eliot, Prufrock’s view on life is of someone who is lost in their thoughts about their self-identity in the world, shown through the use of modernism and time relativity in the poem. This creates a self reflection on how people view their own life based upon Prufrock view on his in the sonnet.

            Though he was a modernist I believe this poem is a reflection of what he saw during the Victorian period.  He says, "Do I dare/Disturb the universe?" (Eliot, Longman 2419 ll. 45-46).  He speaks here, not of the universe as you and I think -- a celestial body -- but of the universe in the sense of the Victorian period itself.  The world where everything is a mask of propriety, manners, and tradition; this can be seen in his reference to the popular Victorian custom of afternoon tea, "Before the taking of tea and toast."  (Eliot, Longman 2419 l. 34).  A word or simple action could topple a system as balanced as this one and Prufrock struggles with the question, "Do I dare?" (Eliot, Longman 2419 l. 38).  Does he dare to disturb the Victorian culture with what he has seen?  His struggle is represented by the yellow smoke/fog.  This represents

In line 57, Prufrock refers to himself as “sprawling on a pin.” This is a reference to the practice of sticking pins through live insects and watching them squirm, which was a common amusement for children at the time (Napierkowski 122). By establishing this comparison between Prufrock and an insect, Eliot describes the scrutiny that Prufrock believes himself to be under by relating it to a familiar, yet morbid childhood pastime. Not only does Prufrock feel the sting of a puncture wound that he is wriggling to be free of, but he is under the lens of his captors, painfully self aware and self conscious. The idea of “sprawling on a pin” also implies that Prufrock sees himself as a mere insect, a pest, lacking human capacities of expression.

Eliot’s earliest work, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, set the bar for Modernisms exemplification of Man and his Modern Masculinity. This was done by incorporating Symbolism, and Imagism along with looking past the profound facts, and into the subconscious (Freud).

Eliot uses the poetic devices of symbols and apostrophe to demonstrate the indecisiveness of the speaker in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The speaker expresses his concern about “a bald spot in the middle of [his] hair” (46) and what people might say about him. This symbol represents everything he feels nervous about when he goes to a party, such as his appearance, the manner in which he acts, and what others may dislike about him. He also has his “morning coat, [his] collar mounting firmly to the chin” (48), which represent his wealth and potential in society. The symbol of the morning coat displays wealth, and the collar shows stiffness, while his chin held high means he could obtain a high social position. His inability to come to a conclusion prevents him from reaching this, as he always asks “do I dare / Disturb the universe?” (51-2) to an unknown person. The poet’s use of apostrophe reveals that the speaker feels that even mundane actions have great repercussions and refuses to make a decision and act upon his desires. He believes that if he takes a risk, he will interrupt the flow of the universe. Ultimately, Prufrock’s hesitation hinders him and he cannot advance in society, and he should try to improve his self-esteem. People should make an effort to feel confident but not overly

Karl Marx’s perspective thus pertinently illustrates the alienation of the modern individual from the self and their surroundings as a direct cause of their socio-economic circumstance. T.S Eliot’s poetry established him as one of the most eminent modernist poets; attempting to free himself from the constraints of the Victorian movement which pre-dated him, this is evident in the free verse and stream of consciousness narrative style of ‘The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock’. In doing so, Eliot turned his attention towards the plight of the individual, opting for the ambiguous protagonists in his poetry and exploring the often desolate and depressive urban landscape of the time through the inner workings of an individuals mind. Following on from this, throughout the poem, Eliot conveys a sense of the individual conscience as conditioned by society, through exploring the inner workings of the persona of J.Alfred Prufrock. Prufrock’s lack of identity and freedom in the face of society appears to be the predominant issue he faces, as he wanders the ‘half-deserted streets’, signifying scenes of decay and degradation to the reader, of which the most telling is the “sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells”, a stark contrasting comparison of the lower class, “sawdust” covered floors with the elitist imagery of an “oyster”.

Unable to "force the moment to its crisis" leaves Prufrock emotionally impotent. Unlike Marvell and his coy mistress Prufrock does not have all the time in the world to malinger, "stretched on the floor." Trivializing his message of desire, as in the rhyme of lines 79-80 or referring to himself as John the Baptist only further hinders the expression of his desire. And we can only imagine in Eliot's use of religious images in which Prufrock "wept and fasted, wept and prayed" that Prufrock is fervently hoping for the self-confidence to express his desires. Yet after the social banter/conventions of "the cups, the marmalade, the tea", "the porcelain" and "some talk of you and me" Prufrock is still unable to seize the moment, to turn desire into action. Presuming that Prufrock is largely reflecting on these issues himself rather than to another listener one notices that he is unable to even mention his desires to himself, so deeply

T.S. Eliot was an outstanding author and an exemplary representation of the ideas of modernism. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," despite being one of T.S Eliot's earliest publications, still manages to remain one of the most famous. He uses this poem to not only draw out the psychological aspect of members of modern society, but also to draw out the aspect of the time that he lived in. The speaker of this poem is a modern man who feels alone, isolated, and incapable of making decisive actions for himself. Prufrock desires to speak to a woman about his love for her, but he continuously hesitates while attempting to do so. This poem demonstrates a theme of fragmentation, which is a theme that we can see throughout the entire