Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock Representation of Modern Man

THE LOVE SONG OF J.ALFRED PRUFROC Often called the first Modernist poem, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† was published in the prestigious American journal Poetry in June 1915. About the Poem: The poem centers on the feelings and thoughts of the eponymous speaker (the somewhat neurotic Prufrock) as he walks through the streets of London route to meet a woman for tea. He is considering a question (perhaps, broadly, the meaning of life, or, more narrowly, a proposal of marriage). Far more than just the â€Å"love song† of a romantic, agonized young man, the poem explores the Modernist alienation of the individual in society. Thomas Stearns Eliot, 1888 – 1965 Born into a prosperous Midwestern family, Eliot attended Harvard and then went†¦show more content†¦Although the audience is never clearly identified, several assumptions can be made. It seems as though Prufrock is simply reflecting on life to himself. He makes several statements that would allow a reader to arrive at this conclusion. Throughout the poem, he asks several rhetorical questions of himself. In line 62, he asks and how should I presume?. He asks himself the same question again in line 68 and then follows with another and how should I begin?. These questions lead the reader to believe that the poem represents Prufrocks inner-thoughts about life. This is important to consider because if the audience was anyone but Prufrock himself, the poem would more than likely take a very different course. Once you get past the initial misconceptions about the poem due to its misleading title, you can easily see that this is a poem about what happens if you do not make the most of your life. Prufrock is a character that we all can learn something from. Through an interpretation of this poem, one can assume that even though a persons life may seem to be normal and in fact successful, sometimes that person may have a totally different view of their own life. From the poem we can conclude that Prufrocks life was like many others during the time it was written. It talks of parties, drinking, and lovely ladies. This did not, however, bring his happiness. As he aged, Prufrock was left very disenchanted with his life. In the end, he discusses howShow MoreRelatedThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1362 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock launched T.S. Eliot’s status as the influential poet of the twentieth century. The poem narrates the self-analysis of a man, Prufrock, who exposes the void and soulless quality of the modern world through his experiences. The morbid outlook of his life stems from his inability to find meaning in his existence. He is entrapped in a constant cycle of overwhelmingly negative emotions -- anxiety, hopelessness, and despair -- haunted by his fears and regrets. Prufrock’sRead MoreThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: A Good Example of Modernism1066 Words   |  5 Pages Modernism is a period which is both progressive and optimistic.The Modern period starts with the Renaissance for historians.It’s stem ‘’Modern’’, comes from the Latin which means ‘’current’’.It is a cultural movement which involves changes in art,architecture,music and literature: ‘’†¦ the vast majority of attempts to offer alternative modes of representation in literature,music,painting,film and architecturefrom the middle of the 19th century to the middle of 20th century have been termed modernist’’(ChildsRead MoreThe Lovesong Of J. Alfred Prufrock Critical Analysis1643 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å" The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot’s persona is a middle-aged male who has an unpromising physical environment and will. Much of the poem consists of Prufrock contemplating whether to go forth with a daring act, but to the reader’s dismay this daring act he speaks of is talking to a woman who he seems to have feelings for. Eliot began to write The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock in 1909, and ending at the peak of his first published book, Prufrock and Other Observations, publishedRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagescourse, inevitably involve people, and fo r this reason it is virtually impossible to discuss plot in isolation from character. Character and plot are, in fact, intimately and reciprocally related, especially in modern fiction. A major function of plot can be said to be the representation of characters in action, though as we will see the action involved can be internal and psychological as well as external and physical. In order for a plot to begin, some kind of catalyst is necessary. An existing