Prufrock Drowns in a Sea of Insecurity

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In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," T. S. Eliot reveals the silent insecurity of a man, for whom the passing of time indicates the loss of virility and confidence. Throughout the poem, Prufrock struggles with his fear of inadequacy, which surfaces socially, physically and romantically. The desire to ask some "overwhelming question," of the one he wants is outweighed by his diffidence, reinforcing his belief in his shortcomings. Ultimately, this poem is the internal soliloquy of someone who attempts to know what he wants and how to get it, but whose social paralysis and lack of self-assuredness prevents either of these possibilities.

Eliot begins the poem with an epigraph from Dante's Inferno. "If I thought that my reply would be to someone who would ever return to earth, this flame would remain without further movement; but as no one has ever returned alive from this gulf, if what I hear is true, I can answer you with no fear of infamy," (CowboyJunkies.com). These words, spoken to Dante, signify an important aspect of Eliot's poem--Prufrock's confused vacillation and neurotic ambiguity are entirely contained within his own mind, allowing them to occur without concern for the reaction of peers. Eliot chooses to emphasize the insecure nature of his character Prufrock throughout the text, exemplified in his self-questioning, "Do I dare...to turn back and ascend the stair, with a bald spot in the middle of my hair--they will say: `How his hair is growing thin!'" This concern over social perception strengthens the importance of the introductory message: Prufrock is desperately afraid of being rejected, and if he thought that his nervous wonderings would be heard by "someone who would return to Earth", or could repeat th...

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... and brown, till human voices wake us, and we drown." The chambers of the sea are the habitats of the beautiful women he has been surrounded by, but never known. They, Prufrock and his companion, "have lingered" in their social setting, surrounded by beautiful women and other beings worthy of passing judgment. This judgment passed upon such a sensitive ego will ultimately lead to Prufrock's downfall. He is woken from his private world of contemplation and tossed into a sea of his fears, of public rejection, to drown.

Works Cited

Eliot, T. S.. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Class handout.

The Love Son of J. Alfred Prufrock. 18 December, 2005. Cowboy Junkies. 15 April,

2006.http://www.cowboyjunkies.com/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=002954

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