CMU Essay "A University should be a place of delight, of liberty, and of learning," remarked Benjamin Disraeli, an English author, as if he had Carnegie Mellon in mind as he placed his thoughts in writing. How could the Institute of Technology help me achieve intellectual independence and assist me in pursuing a life of ideas? Being one of the finest establishments in the world, Carnegie Institute of Technology would allow me to fulfill my perfectionist ideals; I would be able to compete with the best and the brightest. Moreover, the non-academic life within a dynamic campus with a strong sense of community would enhance the challenging courses that the university has to offer. It is not simple to find a distinctive institution with incredible resources as well as personal attention. With a small faculty-to-student ratio in all classes, I could truly have significant interaction with the professors while simultaneously retaining the knowledge I'd be acquiring. The hands-on experience with up-to-date equipment would be like a dream come true as I'd encompass myself with ubiquitous, influential technology which is taken for granted by the common person. Taking advantage of the broad spectrum of undergraduate programs, I would improve my ability to think quantitatively, solve complicated problems, and apply my knowledge to the real world. There are there kinds of students: one who has the brain for math and sciences; one who is able to think analytically about pieces of literature and historical documents; and finally, one who understands all. I fall into the first type. Therefore, I have always been interested in the field of engineering, for it embodies my favorite subjects. As my physics professor talks of electromagnetic and electric fields between all protons and elections, my mind beams with pleasure, for the new information is of such fascination to it. As my calculus teacher frantically writes the equations of integrals on the board, I jot down the notes with a clear understanding of what the signs stand for and the logic behind them. Then at home, I happily turn on my computer and ponder the genius of artificial intelligence. There is no way I am going to leave these beloved fields of study behind-therefore, Electrical and Computer Engineering would be perfect for me. Engineering is a major that is expected to continue experiencing growth, especially strong in areas emphasizing technology. Our society is becoming more technologically driven day by day, and is always on the look-out for expansion and exploration into the scientific front and increasing efficiency. By choosing engineering as a profession, I am able to contribute to the well-being of the society as well as rigorously challenging my intellectual abilities. Although both frustration and jubilation will ensue as I endeavor to find creative solutions to difficult problems, my proficiency in achieving the task would leave me satisfied in life. Carnegie Mellon would help me develop a sense of how to handle myself academically, socially, and personally. My major in Electrical and Computer Engineering would allow me to dive into an ocean full of opportunities and adventures. Alive with fresh ideas waiting to be discovered, Carnegie Mellon will prepare me for life itself, helping in shaking my sense of the world by allowing me to gain the knowledge necessary to achieve my goals as I search for success and happiness.
T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a dramatic monologue. In the same vein as Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess”, this poem is represents modernity – it can be considered a modern metaphysical poem – and a long for the past. This is especially suggested through the use of allusions in the poem. The title is ironic, as the poem is not, nor is it similar to, a love song. J. Alfred Prufrock is additionally ironic in that it is an anti-heroic name that can be considered an amalgamation of the words ‘prude’ and ‘frock’ – frock being a pastor’s wear. The narrator, presumably the eponymous J. Alfred Prufrock, is a complex man who, through this ‘love song’, discusses the things he sees as he attends what is seemingly a party. This essay analyses two poetic techniques that show Prufrock to be intelligent, frightened, and lacking self-esteem. These traits are shown through the use of metaphor and metonyms, and allusions.
J. Alfred Prufrock constantly lived in fear, in fear of life and death. T. S. Eliot divided his classic poem into three equally important sections. Each division provided the reader with insight into the mental structure of J. Alfred Prufrock. In actuality, Prufrock maintained a good heart and a worthy instinct, but he never seemed to truly exist. A false shadow hung over his existence. Prufrock never allowed himself to actually live. He had no ambitions that would drive him to succeed. The poem is a silent cry for help from Prufrock. In each section, T. S. Eliot provided his audience with vague attempts to understand J. Alfred Prufrock. Each individual reader can only interpret these attempts by Eliot, allowing numerous views of the life of Prufrock. The first section of the poem dealt with the ever-prevalent issue of death. In the beginning Eliot said, "Let us go then, you and I."(l, 1 Eliot) The poem started off with this illusion to the Inferno as a way to symbolize Prufrock's journey, and his fear of death. Prufrock could be looked upon as Virgil. In the poem he guided the reader through his tangled world of existentialism. When Eliot said, "Like a patient etherised upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets…"(ll 3-4 Eliot) it showed that Prufrock was numb. He had no feeling for anyone or his surroundings. J. Alfred Prufrock only felt one thing. He felt the fear of life and death. In some ways, he spent his entire life preparing for his death. Prufrock knew that his life had not provided the world with anything of great significance. Eliot pointed this out by juxtaposing Prufrock with Michelangelo. In lines 13-14 Eliot said, "In the room the wom...
The first stanza introduces Prufrock’s isolation, as epitomized metaphorically by “half-deserted streets” (4): while empty streets imply solitude, Eliot’s diction emphasize Prufrock having been abandoned by the other “half” needed for a relationship or an “argument” (8). Hoping for a companion, Prufrock speaks to the reader when saying, “Let us go then, you and I” (1), as he needs to address his lament to an audience; conscious of the reader’s curiosity regarding the “overwhelming question,” (10) Prufrock answers, “Oh, do not ask, ‘What is it?’” (11). (The likely explanation for Eliot’s inconsistent use of you in this stanza is Prufrock probably meaning you as “To lead one,” as he refers to himself and not the reader in line 10.) Eliot continues the metaphor of Prufrock’s lonesomeness by anthropomorphizing the “yellow fog” and “smoke” (15, 16) to signify Prufrock, who interacts not with people, but only the environment in the third, fourth, and fifth stanzas. Clearly it is Prufrock who “rubs [his] muzzle on the window-panes” (15, 16), passively lets “fall upon [his] back the soot that falls from chimneys” (19), “slides along the street” (24), and performs the actions also described; also, the opacity of “fog” and “smoke” symbolizes the difficulty with which readers perceive Prufrock’s true character, further separating ...
T.S. Eliot’s poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock has a plethora of possible interpretations. Many people argue that the poem represents a man who appears to be very introverted person who is contemplating a major decision in his life. This decision is whether or not he will consummate a relationship with someone he appears to have an attraction to or feelings for. People also debate whether or not Prufrock from the poem is typical of people today. While there are a plethora of reasons Prufrock is not typical of people today the main three reasons are he is very reserved, he overthinks most situations and he tries avoid his problems instead of solve them.
Do you ever have one of those days when you remember your parents taking away all of your baseball cards or all of your comic books because you got a bad grade in one of your classes? You feel a little depressed and your priced possession has been stolen. This event is the same as August Wilson’s, The Piano Lesson. The story is about a sibling rivalry, Boy Willie Charles against Berniece Charles, regarding an antique, family inherited piano. Boy Willie wants to sell the piano in order to buy the same Mississippi land that his family had worked as slaves. However, Berniece, who has the piano, declines Boy Willie’s request to sell the piano because it is a reminder of the history that is their family heritage. She believes that the piano is more consequential than “hard cash” Boy Willie wants. Based on this idea, one might consider that Berniece is more ethical than Boy Willie.
In conclusion, after exploring the theme of this poem and reading it for myself, Eliot has created this persona, in industrialised England or somewhere else. A man of low self-esteem, you embark his journey as he struggles with a rational fear of being rejected by a woman. Which gives the reader sympathy to Prufrock, as he lives within his own personal
The poem begins with a short passage from Dante’s INFERNO. With this reference, it immediately gives an eerie feeling of something evil or possibly something related to the devil. Reading the translation of this passage though, it leads you into feelings of sympathy for the man. It concerns a man and his identity, much like the actual poem. This passage and its entire translation implies that in the poem Prufrock is only speaking because he is sure no one will stop and listen to him.
Eliot demonstrates “that Prufrock prepares . . . [a face] . . . of feigned confidence” (McCormick, 44-5) when in the company of others which eventually leads to failing to accomplish his goals. A traditional male would be unaffected by the presence of others and remain the true man that he is. The author portrays this insecurity throughout by the use of the previously mentioned literary devices. As a result, Prufrock never asks the “overwhelming question” (Eliot, 16) and ultimately “drown[s]” (137) in his unfulfilling life. Conclusively, Eliot’s portrayal of Prufrock is a critique of contemporary
Prufrock’s social world is initially revealed as he takes the reader on a journey. Through the lines 1-36, the reader travels with Prufrock through the modern city and its streets as we experience Prufrock’s life and explore his surroundings through his eyes. From the very beginning, the city is portrayed as bleak and empty with no signs of happiness. The setting as Prufrock walks through the street appears to be polluted, dirty, and run-down, as if it is the cheap side of town, giving the feeling of it being lifeless, still, eerie, sleepy and unconscious. Eliot uses imagery, from the skyline to half-deserted streets, to cheap hotels to sawdust restaurants to demonstrate the loneliness and alienation the city possesses. The city Prufrock resides in is, in a way, a shadow of how he is as a person, and the images of the city speak to some part of his personality. Just as the skyline is described as “a patient etherised upon a table” (3), it foreshadows and hints that Prufrock has an...
In the poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T.S. Eliot uses many metaphors to grab our attention from how Prufrock feels from his peers. In the first stanza, it is safe to say that Prufrock feels that no woman loves him, but maybe the real issue is that he doesn’t love himself. Prufrock lives more on the opinions of others making the chance of him gaining self-confidence very unlikely. Many times Prufrock begins to think, “Do I dare?” when someone begins to speak with him.
He feels conflicted as he fails to meet the expectations of what it means to be a man: to have power, courage, and strength. Exposing certain accepted gender characteristics allows him to maintain his identity and keep women on the other side of the binary. Throughout the poem, Prufrock feels at odds with his own sex. In lines 15-22, Eliot references a cat, timid creatures who tend to keep to themselves. This metaphor is fitting; Prufrock spends the entire poem lingering outside a room unable to muster the confidence to talk to a girl. He is self-conscious that his “arms and legs are thin”. Eliot even suggests the superiority of women in certain instances. He frequently references hair throughout the poem, a trait associated with masculinity. While Prufrock’s hair disappears as he ages, the women have “arms (downed with light brown hair)” and live in “the white hair of the waves”. Trapped within his own limitations, Prufrock feels powerless in the face of sexual opportunity. As a result, he resorts to tearing up a woman’s body into parts as a means to maintain a sense of what it means to be a
S. Eliot’s poem for the American Literature class, Pagnattaro’s critical essay allowed me to further understanding the meaning of his text. The details of his ongoing and growing anxiety, and insecurity were portrayed more prominently in the story after I have read Pagnattaro’s overview of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” text. Her text allowed me to further understand why Prufrock refrained himself from asking the woman he noticed to pursue him. Although his intentions are to pursue her, his doubts and questions against himself overwhelmed him. This resulting in him not being able to move forward towards a good future for himself. These details show how “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is not what one might have thought was a mainstream love poem, or something as close to “Romeo and Juliet” by
The title T. S. Eliot chose for his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is ironic. Mr. Prufrock does not love anyone, nor does he believe he is loved. He has disdain for the society of which he wishes he were a part, and he believes society views him no differently. The imagery of Mr. Prufrock's thoughts provide the audience a more detailed insight into his character than had Mr. Eliot simply listed Mr. Prufrock's virtues and flaws. Mr. Prufrock is seen as an exaggeration or extreme for the sake of literary commentary, but the world has many Prufrocks in many differing degrees, and T. S. Eliot has made them a little easier to understand.
The importance of women to Prufrock was that they seemed to be crucial issue for Prufrock to connect to . Eliot used women as a very relatable relationship that not all of us are able to make in our lives. Evidence for Prufrock not fitting in are used by Eliot by him suggesting that women will judge him “With a bald spot in the middle of my hair /[They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”]. This is important to the author’s idea of Prufrock not fitting into the world around him because he uses women as a bench mark for this with the judgment he feels in the next line; My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin/ [They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”]. This is a reference by Eliot to how women will judge Prufrock therefore not giving him the acceptance he desires. Eliot makes Prufrock wait to talk to women. Prufrock makes excuses as to why he cannot connect to those around him. This is evident in the text with Prufrock expressing his displeasure with his predicament by not wanting to “disturb the universe.” This important because Prufrock sees himself as a disturbance feeling as though he cannot connect to the women around him. He sees visions of his own self image which is supported by: “For I have known them all already, known them all.” This is important to Prufrock not connecting to his world because he sees others around him and thinks that he will disturb the woman’s peace with his presence. Prufrock feels very uncomfortable making connections with women much as if he is “ sprawling on a
The theme of Prufrock is the negative, individuality repressing effect that society has on its people. The Prufrock persona illustrates this, he is alienated by the inane social rituals that define his life, “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons” and make it insignificant and useless. The Waste Land’s theme is that the world, in particular western civilisation, is a culturally and spiritually barren place. Society is portrayed as a pile of “…stony rubbish…”, the ruins of a once great city now reduced to rubble where nothing can grow. Lives mean nothing, but the poem also offers hope through a return to basic religious values, ending with the repeated chant of “Shantih shantih shantih”, which means, “the peace which passeth understanding”. The poems both portray the same basic idea, but they have two main differences. Firstly, there is the way in which the themes are expressed. In Prufrock , Eliot uses a persona as an example of the debilitating effect of living with so many expectations, rules, standards and meaningless rituals has on a the individual. In many ways, this is a very effe...