Warm up

• Create a “Bucket List” where you record 5-5 things you want to do/see/experience before you die.

• Rank them in order of importance

• List the emotions under each that you would experience upon completing the task. How does each experience/idea make you feel?

Warm up take two

• Imagine that those opportunities have been stripped away.

• YOU WILL NEVER REALIZE THEM. EVER.

• NOW how do you feel about it?

• What challenges will you face trying to overcome these LOST experiences?

T.S. Elliot

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

What you need to know about Eliot

• Thomas Stearns Eliot: The ultimate “can’t judge a book by it’s cover” icon. – OUTSIDE: model of convention (Harvard grad

—clean cut)– INSIDE: revolutionary!

Breaking conventions

• Intentionally fragmented structure

• Focus on the despair of modern urban life

• Setting a tone of Modernism and for Modernism

What is Poetry to Eliot?

• A reflection of the genuine, fractured experience of life in the 20th century—not a romanticized notion of what the world had once been

• Exploring the uncertainty to make meaning from a meaningless world

The Wasteland

• “A profound critique of the spiritual barrenness of the modern world”

Anticipate

• Title—Ponder the title before reading the poem: Explain your response in 1-2 sentences.

– What do you think it is about?– What impression of the poet do you receive?– Do you think you will like this poem?

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

Structure

• Dramatic Monologue: a poem or speech in which a character addresses a silent listener.

In te rn a l C on flic ts

P erson a lity Tra its

P ru frock 's O b serva tion s

Technique

• Allusions: References to people, historical and literary events that hold meaning for him

• Rhythm and musicality: affects the mood and the reader in ways simple words cannot

Warm Up Take I: identify the allusions.

I went out last week and met a really hot guy who considers himself to be a real Romeo. He wasn’t my type, except that he had the qualities of Midas so I decided to give him a chance. He drove like a Kamikaze, and I had almost decided that, even though he was no Hercules, my Prince Charming may have finally arrived. I was stunned by his ability to climb. He scaled the roof of my house like Spiderman. He draws well, but he is certainly no Leonardo da Vinci. He lives his life like Tom Sawyer, but he didn’t follow his high school friends who moved to California after graduation as if it were 1849. I tried to cook him dinner one night, but I’m no June Cleaver. I’m supposed to meet his best friend tomorrow, and they’ve been friends longer than Bert and Ernie. Impressing him is a giant challenge, so I plan to bring my slingshot. I hope meeting him won’t be my own Waterloo, because I think I might really like Frank!

Warm Up take II: Paraphrase the following…

I went out last week and met a really hot guy who considers himself to be a real Romeo. He wasn’t my type, except that he had the qualities of Midas so I decided to give him a chance. He drove like a Kamikaze, and I had almost decided that, even though he was no Hercules, my Prince Charming may have finally arrived. I was stunned by his ability to climb. He scaled the roof of my house like Spiderman. He draws well, but he is certainly no Leonardo da Vinci. He lives his life like Tom Sawyer, but he didn’t follow his high school friends who moved to California after graduation as if it were 1849. I tried to cook him dinner one night, but I’m no June Cleaver. I’m supposed to meet his best friend tomorrow, and they’ve been friends longer than Bert and Ernie. Impressing him is a giant challenge, so I plan to bring my slingshot. I hope meeting him won’t be my own Waterloo, because I think I might really like Frank!

Paraphrased

• Last week I met a handsome man named Frank who…– “Romeo”-thinks he’s romantic– “Midas”- can make money easily– “Kamakazi”-drives like a maniac– “no Hercules”-isn’t very big/strong/heroic– “Prince Charming”-is my perfect man– “Spiderman”-climbs with ease– “No Leonardo da Vinci”- draws, but not professionally– “Tom-Sawyer”- is carefree and immature

• Last week I met a handsome man named Frank who thinks he’s romantic, can make money easily, drives like a maniac, isn’t very big/strong/heroic, is my perfect man, climbs with ease, draws, but not professionally, and is carefree and immature.

Paraphrased Part II

• His friends all…– “1849” Moved to California quickly

• , except his best friend who..– “Bert and Ernie” he’s been friends with forever.

• His friends all moved to California quickly, except his best friend who he’s been friends with forever.

Paraphrased part III

• I…– “No June Clever”- do not cook well

• And am meeting his best friend who I hope to impress but…– “Slingshot”- he’s hard to impress– “Waterloo” and I hope I don’t fail because I

want to give this guy a chance

• I do not cook well and am meeting his best friend who I hope to impress but he’s hard to impress and I hope I don’t fail because I want to give this guy a chance.

Final Paraphrase

Last week I met a handsome man named Frank who thinks he’s romantic, can make money easily, drives like a maniac, isn’t very big/strong/heroic, is my perfect man, climbs with ease, draws, but not professionally, and is carefree and immature. His friends all moved to California quickly, except his best friend who he’s been friends with forever. I do not cook well and am meeting his best friend who I hope to impress but he’s hard to impress and I hope I don’t fail because I want to give this guy a chance.

Structure • Go back through what we read yesterday and

identify one observation, then infer what personality traits are exposed through the internal conflict that you see.

• Dramatic Monologue: a poem or speech in which a character addresses a silent listener.

In te rn a l C on flic ts

P erson a lity Tra its

P ru frock 's O b serva tion s

Pg. 715

• As the poem is read to you…– Paraphrase—Translate the poem into your own

words

Connect

• Think of a time when you let an opportunity slip you by…– What was it? – What was the result? – Could things have turned out differently had

you “Carpe Diem”ed? – What lesson can you learn from Prufrock’s

experience?

Interpret

• Connotation—Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal. – What do you think inspired the writer?

(Remember what we talked about for the modern time period to help you.)

Interpret

• Attitude—Observe both the speaker’s and the poet’s attitude (tone).

• Shifts—Note shifts in speakers and attitudes

Interpret

• Title—Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level

Interpret

• Theme—Determine what the poet is saying– Think about your warm up—identify

the instances of the major theme: • the challenge of seizing an opportunity the challenge of seizing an opportunity

for emotional connection and the for emotional connection and the anguish that results when the anguish that results when the opportunity slips by….opportunity slips by….

Apply—You and your partner should write…

• A response to Prufrock, giving him advice.

• A new song for Prufrock, one in which he TOOK the risk

Your poem should have…

•Minimum 15 lines, maximum 30 lines

•1 allusion to something in “The Love Song…”

•2 allusions to something/someone outside the text (can be from pop culture ie. “Lil’ Wayne”)

•A title that represents the theme of your poem

OROR

Remember to…

•Write neatly as though it will be displayed

•Have one illustration of some kind