“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

By T. S. Eliot

Pages 1026 - 1029

T.S. EliotBorn in AmericaDied in England

His life (and poetry) was a paradox:◦Traditional vs. modern◦Popular vs. elite◦Democracy vs. monarch

Summary

A man goes to a party with a friend. He wants to approach a pretty woman, but he’s afraid of being rejected.

He wonders if he should talk to her, debates the pros and cons, and ultimately chooses not to.

FormatThis poem is a stream-of-

consciousness poem. The poem includes random ideas and responses that occur in Prufrock’s mind as he contemplates this larger problem of approaching a woman.

Dramatic SituationSpeaker: A middle-aged man

(with balding hair and skinny arms and legs)

Audience: Unknown listener(perhaps a friend at the party)

Setting: City, party, beachOccasion: He wants to ask a woman

outConflict: He has no self-confidence

and is afraid of being rejected.

Thought Structure Part A, Lines 1 – 12

o Talking about the cityo Asks a friend to go to a party with him

Part B, Lines 15 – 22o Description of the city (compared to a cat)o Industrial reference—soot, smoke, fog

Part C, Lines 23 - 48o Repeated reference to “time.” Implies that he is not too

old to meet someone. Not too old to change his life.o Time to make “revisions” and “decisions”o Time to “dare” to do something (confront a girl, maybe?)

Part D, Lines 49 – 54o He realizes his life is lonely and unfulfilled, but he

doesn’t know how to proceed. He’s afraid to “dare.”

Thought Structure (cont.) Part E, Lines 55 – 74

o He has no self-confidence. He feels like a bug being inspected on a pin. And, he feels like a crab “scuttling” along the floor. (He has balding hair, thin arms and legs, and modest clothing.)

o Yet, he also inspects the women in the same way he feels inspected.

o He is distracted by their bare arms, beauty, and perfume. Part F, Lines 75 – 86

o He’s afraid of being rejected again. He’s had his “head brought in upon a platter” once before and he “was afraid.”

Part G, Lines 87 – 110o He wonders if it would have been worth it to “dare” — either this

time or a time before. Good things might have come from it. o “That is not what I meant at all” – perhaps he misunderstands

women as much as they misunderstand him. Maybe he should take a chance.

Thought Structure (cont.) Part H, Lines 111 – 121

o Decides not to “dare.” He doesn’t have the confidence to approach women. Instead, he’ll remain the “attendant,” be a “fool,” and “grow old” with his “trousers rolled.”

Part I, Lines 122 – 131o He compares his life to a walk along the beach as he watches

mermaids. (The mermaids imply a fantasy world or unattainable dreams.)

o He’ll watch the mermaids but knows they won’t “sing” to him. (He’ll look at women but won’t ever ask them out.)

o He’ll dream about the “sea-girls” but will “drown” in self-pity, sorrow, loneliness, and self-loathing.

o Key Lineo “Do I dare?” lines 38 and 45o These lines set up the conflict. Should he dare do

something bold at this party? Implications surrounding these lines relate to a woman and his fear of rejection.

Emotional Structure (Stream of Consciousness)Tone: Dream-like questioning o “etherized” state and “yellow fog”

Change in Tone: o Return to reality and decision o Lines 111 – 119o He doesn’t have confidence in himself. He decides not to

“dare” and play the “fool” instead.o Self-pity because of the decisiono Lines 120 -121 “I grow old . . .”o He decides not to ask the woman out and “drown” instead.

Change in Tone Again: o Return to dream-like stateo Mermaids and singing on the beacho “Wake us” (li. 1029)

Emotional Structure (cont.)Loaded Words or Imageso Lines 13 – 14 (and repeated later)

“In the room the women come and goTalking of Michelangelo”

oAs he is being tormented by indecision and loneliness, people are chatting about trivial things—like pop culture and gossip.

Irony/ Paradoxo Lines 32 – 33 and 48

“And time yet for a hundred indecisions,And for a hundred visions and revisions”

oHe knows that he can “revise” his life by making better “decisions,” but he doesn’t have the courage to do so.

Images CreatedTitle: “The Love Song” implies the

“dare” involves romance. Contrasts or Parallels:oLines 127 – 128 “Combing the white hair of

the waves blown back/ When the wind blows the water white and black.” (Lots of references to white and black throughout the poem . . . and losing hair.) Repetition of black and white. Life isn’t that easy;

it isn’t black and white. We lose courage as we “lose hair.” Stress causes

us to “pull our hair out.” Physical appearance often gives us confidence or takes away confidence.

Images CreatedFigurative Language:o Metaphor – “The yellow fog. . .” is like a cat rubbing

against the window.o Repetition –

“Michelangelo”“That is not what I meant at all”“I grow old”(These things are constantly in his thoughts.)

o Personification – “The afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!”

Literary referencesJohn the Baptist (head chopped off)Lazarus (died and Jesus brought back to life) Hamlet (not a prince)(Prufrock is wronged, or being “sacrificed.”)

ThemeLove is difficult. Love crushes.

Love destroys self-esteem.

Yet, if we don’t make an effort to love, love won’t automatically find us. We’ll “grow old,” all alone, wondering if it might have been different if we “dared.”

The “Love Song Theme” in LifeSituations where you might feel like

Prufrock:(Knowing you need to do something, but somehow afraid to try.)

Dating:◦Weekend◦Dances/ Prom◦College—meeting new people

Life:◦After high school?◦Family struggles—how do you help? Where do

you fit in?◦What makes you happy?

Text Connection

Text ConnectionExplanation of Connection: “As She’s Walking Away” is also about a

guy who wanted to stop a girl and talk to her. But he doesn’t have the nerve, so she walks away.

“As She’s Walking Away”

by The Zach Brown Band and Alan Jackson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tthIHXUsPs