Q1. Who is the poet of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"?
T.S. Eliot is the poet of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"/The poem was written by T.S. Eliot.
Q2. When was the poem first published?
It was first published in 1915.
Q3. What literary movement does this poem belong to?
It is a key work of Modernism.
Q4. What type of poem is this?
It is a dramatic monologue.
Q5. Who is the speaker of the poem?
The speaker is J. Alfred Prufrock.
Q6. What language is the epigraph written in?
The epigraph is written in Italian.
Q7. Where is the epigraph taken from?
It is taken from Dante Alighieri's Inferno.
Q8. To whom is the "you" in "Let us go then, you and I" likely referring?
It likely refers to a part of Prufrock's own self, or perhaps a silent listener.
Q9. How is the evening sky described in the opening lines?
It is compared to "a patient etherized upon a table."
Q10. What kind of streets does Prufrock walk through?
He walks through "half-deserted streets" and "muttering retreats."
Q11. What famous artist do the women in the room talk about?
They are "talking of Michelangelo."
Q12. What animal is the yellow fog compared to?
The yellow fog is compared to a cat (rubbing its back, licking its tongue).
Q13. What color is the fog described as?
It is described as "yellow fog" and "yellow smoke."
Q14. What phrase does Prufrock repeat about time?
"There will be time."
Q15. What does Prufrock say there will be time for?
Time "to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet."
Q16. What physical feature is Prufrock self-conscious about?
He is self-conscious about his "bald spot in the middle of my hair."
Q17. How does he think people will judge his appearance?
He fears they will say, "How his hair is growing thin!" and "But how his arms and legs are thin!"
Q18. How has Prufrock measured out his life?
He has measured out his life "with coffee spoons."
Q19. What does the "coffee spoons" metaphor mean?
It suggests a life full of trivial, repetitive, and small social rituals.
Q20. What question does Prufrock ask repeatedly?
"Do I dare?" and "How should I presume?"
Q21. Who is the "Eternal Footman"?
The "Eternal Footman" is a personification of Death.
Q22. What did the Eternal Footman do that embarrassed Prufrock?
He held Prufrock's coat and snickered.
Q23. Which biblical figure does Prufrock say he is NOT?
He says, "I am no prophet — and here’s no great matter" (alluding to John the Baptist).
Q24. Does Prufrock feel like a hero?
No, he admits he is "not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be."
Q25. Who does Prufrock compare himself to instead of Hamlet?
He compares himself to an attendant lord or a fool (like Polonius).
Q26. What does Prufrock worry about eating?
He asks, "Do I dare to eat a peach?"
Q27. Why is eating a peach a risk for him?
It represents a messy, sensual act that might be embarrassing for a dignified, older man.
Q28. What style of trousers will he wear?
He will wear "white flannel trousers" and walk upon the beach.
Q29. What mythological creatures does Prufrock hear singing?
He hears the mermaids singing, each to each.
Q30. Does he think the mermaids will sing to him?
No, he says, "I do not think that they will sing to me."
Q31. What biblical character came back from the dead?
Lazarus ("I am Lazarus, come from the dead").
Q32. Why does Prufrock mention Lazarus?
He imagines coming back to tell everyone "all," or the truth about life/death, but fears being misunderstood.
Q33. What is the "overwhelming question"?
The specific question is never asked, but it implies a marriage proposal or a deep existential query.
Q34. How does Prufrock describe himself physically?
He mentions his "morning coat," his "collar mounting firmly to the chin," and his "thin" limbs.
Q35. What emotion dominates Prufrock’s character?
Anxiety, hesitation, and self-doubt.
Q36. What is the setting of the poem?
It is set in a gloomy, urban city (possibly London) with fog, cheap hotels, and tea parties.
Q37. What does "etherized" mean?
It means to be sedated or numbed by ether (an anesthetic).
Q38. What does Prufrock fear seeing in the eyes of others?
He fears "the eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase," judging and labeling him.
Q39. What does it mean to be "pinned and wriggling on the wall"?
It is a metaphor for feeling like a dissected insect, trapped by social judgment.
Q40. What is the tone of the poem?
The tone is melancholic, pessimistic, and ironic.
Q41. Does Prufrock ever ask his question?
No, he avoids it and continues to hesitate.
Q42. How does the poem end?
It ends with human voices waking him and the mermaids, causing them to drown.
Q43. What does "drown" symbolize in the last line?
It symbolizes the return to the harsh reality of life and the death of his romantic fantasies.
Q44. What does the "yellow fog" rubbing against the window pane suggest?
It suggests a sense of lethargy, pollution, and isolation separating the inside from the outside.
Q45. Why does Prufrock not want to be Hamlet?
He feels he lacks the grandeur and tragic importance of Hamlet; he is a minor character in his own life.
Q46. What does "I have known the arms already" mean?
It implies he has had many superficial social interactions with women but no deep connection.
Q47. What does the "bald spot" symbolize?
It symbolizes his aging, lack of virility, and his vulnerability.
Q48. Why is the title ironic?
It is called a "Love Song," but it is actually a monologue about loneliness and the inability to express love.
Q49. What is "scuttling across the floors of silent seas"?
A pair of ragged claws (a crab), representing Prufrock's wish to be a simple instinctual creature.
Q50. What is the main theme of the poem?
The paralysis of the modern man, caused by overthinking, fear of rejection, and social alienation.
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