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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Master Summary
Introduction: The Birth of Modernism
T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1915) is widely regarded as the first great Modernist poem in English. It marks a decisive break from the 19th-century Romantic tradition. While Romantics like Wordsworth celebrated nature and the sublime, Eliot presents a gritty, realistic, and fragmented vision of the modern urban world. The poem is not a traditional "love song" but a psychological study of a neurotic, insecure man trapped in his own mind. It explores themes of alienation, indecision, and the spiritual emptiness of modern civilization.
Character Analysis: The Anti-Hero
J. Alfred Prufrock is the quintessential modern Anti-Hero. He possesses none of the qualities of a traditional hero—he is not brave, decisive, or physically imposing. Instead, he is a middle-aged, balding man who is paralyzed by self-consciousness. He is obsessed with his own physical decay ("They will say: 'How his hair is growing thin!'") and terrified of social judgment. He compares himself to Hamlet but realizes he is not a tragic prince, but merely an "attendant lord"—a minor character in his own life. Prufrock represents the paralysis of the modern intellectual: he knows too much, thinks too much, but is unable to act.
Setting and Imagery: Urban Decay
The poem is famous for its striking urban imagery and Metaphysical Conceits. It opens with a shocking comparison: the evening sky is likened to a "patient etherized upon a table." This image suggests that the modern world is sick, unconscious, and in need of surgery. Prufrock wanders through a sordid cityscape of "one-night cheap hotels" and "sawdust restaurants." The famous "yellow fog" that rubs its back upon the window-panes is personified as a cat, creating an atmosphere of lethargy and suffocation. These images reflect the internal state of Prufrock’s mind: foggy, dirty, and isolated.
The Theme of Indecision and Paralysis
The central conflict of the poem is Prufrock’s inability to make a decision. The refrain "Do I dare?" echoes throughout the verses. He wants to ask an "overwhelming question" (presumably a proposal of love or a profound spiritual truth) to a woman, but he is terrified of rejection. He constantly procrastinates, assuring himself that "there will be time" for a hundred indecisions. He fears that if he speaks, the woman will reply, "That is not what I meant at all." This fear of misunderstanding silences him. He measures out his life with "coffee spoons," emphasizing the trivial and repetitive nature of his existence.
Narrative Technique: Interior Monologue
The poem is written as an Interior Monologue or "Stream of Consciousness." The "You and I" in the opening line refers to Prufrock’s split self: his public mask ("You") and his private, suffering soul ("I"). We are eavesdropping on his internal debate. This technique highlights his profound Alienation. He is surrounded by people at tea parties who "talk of Michelangelo," yet he is utterly alone. He feels like an insect "pinned and wriggling on the wall."
Conclusion
The poem ends in tragedy, but not a loud one. Prufrock hears the mermaids singing—symbols of romance, imagination, and vitality—but he sadly concludes, "I do not think that they will sing to me." He accepts his exclusion from the world of beauty and love. The final image is of "human voices" waking him, causing him to "drown." This signifies the death of his spirit; he succumbs to the boring, trivial reality of social convention, forever unable to ask the question.
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