More handpicked essays just for you.
Psychoanalysis theory in The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock
The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock conclusion
Modernism in poem the love song of j alfred prufrock
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Remarkably Unromantic “Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock”
In the poem “The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot, the narrator sees women “Talking of Michelangelo”, which implies a romantic connotation that the story unmistakably will not ensue (Prufrock). This line of the poem has a noteworthy impact on not only the theme, but the tone of the poem. Moreover this poem is as far from a love song as conceivable, we know this since the poem is an example of Modernism. Modernism is mostly defined as a work that rejects traditional storylines, has an abstract or surreal setting, is pessimistic, has an unclear protagonist, and is not easily comprehended. Luis Alberto Lázaro Lafuente states that “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
…show more content…
is T.S. Eliot’s first important publication, and it is often called the the first masterpiece of Modernism in English. (Lafuente). With this in mind, is this poem connected to Modernism and why is it regarded as the first masterpiece of Modernism in Literature? The poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is an excellent example of Modernism and you should believe this too since it is pessimistic, has an abstract setting, and is not “dumbed down” to aide anyone’s comprehension. Firstly, the narrator is extremely difficult to decipher at first, since they use unique literary devices and unusual methods such as the stream of consciousness writing style. At first glance, the poem seems to be about a love song, but as you read, it is regarding anything except romance. Jaklitsch proclaims that the poem’s response to love “falls short” and instead you see into Prufrock’s broken mind and personal romantic issues (Jaklitsch). A source affirms that this story uses a technique known as stream of consciousness that imitates the human mind, which is complicated to follow, since not everyone processes information in the same way as the narrator (Laura). In the story, Prufrock uses literary techniques and comparisons that are unusual, such as cats compared to fog or coffee spoons to life (Prufrock). Similarly, the time period of Modernism was during World War II and the Great Depression. The significance of this fact is that this time period was a difficult era to understand, since not only was the Great Depression and World War II occurring, but industrialization and factory work created the “perfect storm” for Modernism to occur. To put it briefly, a main characteristic of Modernism is the difficulty to understand the literature, which is obviously a main characteristic of this poem because Prufrock uses the stream of consciousness writing style, everyone processes information differently, and his analogies are farfetched. Secondly, the poem, an example of Modernism, has a very abstract setting, since it uses the stream of consciousness technique, the narrator gives few clues to realistic timing, and only gives small hints as to where the story is located. As mentioned earlier, this poem uses the stream of consciousness writing technique, what the narrator is saying may not be the actual setting, instead only a thought. In addition to this, the narrator does not use transitional phrases that would indicate actual timing. Prufrock lived in London for part of his life. The fog and other diction of the author could indicate the setting to be in London, but it is never specified or clear enough to infer this significant part of the story (Prufrock). As mentioned previously, Modernism occurred during a difficult time period. With this in mind, the people were in an ever-changing time period, since their was war and extreme poverty families had to change, not only how they lived, but where they were located. These individuals reflected this adjustment in the literature. To summarize, this poem is definitely an example of Modernism, since it displays an abstract setting, which is a main part of Modernism because the author uses the stream of consciousness writing style, no transition indicators of time passed, and what the author is saying may not be the actual setting but, only a thought. Third, the poem is exceptionally pessimistic, which is an example of Modernism in this poem, since the narrator has no self-esteem, is not capable of functioning “normally”, and he believes every situation will end in devastation.
The narrator has no confidence in himself and always expects things to end unsatisfactorily, therefore he never accomplishes the enormous task that he ponders the entire poem. The main character is completely incapable of normal human interaction, he never asks this monumental question in the story he mulls over the entire poem, because he chickens out, and has very little self esteem. “He knows he is not Prince Hamlet and he does not think the mermaids will sing to him. He knows that he can not make a decision(Lafuente).” An example of this is that the narrator is constantly obsessed with women and his supposed faults, such as baldness and growing old. “Eliot’s use of literary techniques portrays a man incapable of normal day-to-day life, constantly mulling over every action he takes, debilitated by this paralysis (Jaklitsch).” At the end of the poem, mermaids, also known as sirens, represent all of life's opportunities and Prufrock, as he stands on the shore as an observer until his imminent death (Laura). This connection to Modernism is the most obvious, since it is one of the defining characteristics of the poem and Modernism. The reason for this pessimism is because society was faced with the harsh realities of war, the belief that God if he …show more content…
exists allowed this suffering to occur, and industrialization took away their individuality. In short, the narrator is extremely pessimistic, since he has no self-confidence, has little to no hope, and does not function as he should and this is the defining characteristic of Modernism. Lastly, “The Love Song of J.
Alfred Prufrock” is an excellent example of Modernism and you should think so too since it is pessimistic, has an abstract setting, and is not “dumbed down” to aide anyone’s comprehension. As previously stated the poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is an example of Modernism since it is not easy to interpret, has an abstract setting, and is intensely pessimistic. As previously stated, this poem is extraordinarily unromantic, bewildering, and more pessimistic than a student at a Chemistry exam without a periodic table. The bulk of this poem is definitely a Modernist one and you the reader should without a doubt believe that fact. “In the room the women come and go (Prufrock).” As can be seen, the narrator believes he needs a woman to fill up the hole in his life, but only one thing can fill this hole and that is that his mindset needs to improve. The narrator is obsessed with women and tries to reassure himself that he has experienced life, but is extremely inactive with real women and that adds to the enormous pessimism of this
story.
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is about a timid and downcast man in search of meaning, of love, and in search of something to break from the dullness and superficiality which he feels his life to be. Eliot lets us into Prufrock's world for an evening, and traces his progression of emotion from timidity, and, ultimately, to despair of life. He searches for meaning and acceptance by the love of a woman, but falls miserably because of his lack of self-assurance. Prufrock is a man for whom, it seems, everything goes wrong, and for whom there are no happy allowances. The emptiness and shallowness of Prufrock's "universe" and of Prufrock himself are evident from the very beginning of the poem. He cannot find it in himself to tell the woman what he really feels, and when he tries to tell her, it comes out in a mess. At the end of the poem, he realizes that he has no big role in life.
The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a poem that was written by T. S Eliot. The poem introduces the character, Prufrock, as a man who is very pessimistic about everything and is incapable of change. Prufrock sees the society he lives in as a place that is full of people who think alike, and he thinks he is different from them. Though Prufrock, realizes that the society he is associated with needs a change and have more people who think differently, but the fact that he is very concerned about what people would think of him if he tries to speak up to make a change or that he would be ignored or be misunderstood for whatever he says hindered him from expressing himself the way he would like to. Prufrock then decides not to express himself in order to avoid any type of rejection. In the poem, Prufrock made use of several imagery and metaphor to illustrate how he feels about himself and the society he is involved in. Prufrock use of imageries and
T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” tells the speaker’s story through several literary devices, allowing the reader to analyze the poem through symbolism, character qualities, and allusions that the work displays. In this way, the reader clearly sees the hopelessness and apathy that the speaker has towards his future. John Steven Childs sums it up well in saying Prufrock’s “chronic indecision blocks him from some important action” (Childs). Each literary device- symbolism, character, and allusion- supports this description. Ultimately, the premise of the poem is Prufrock second guessing himself to no end over talking to a woman, but this issue represents all forms of insecurity and inactivity.
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.
In the early 1900’s, the artistic movement of modernism dominated many facets of aesthetic representation as writers, artists, and musicians abandoned the starched, conventional styles of the Victorian age for a less restrictive form of expression. Artisans, particularly the writers of the period, experimented within their craft by ignoring the traditional narrative and poetic forms in an attempt convey their personal disdain for the social climate of a newly industrialized culture consumed with monetary wealth and the ideals of genteel refinement that attended to its standards. This contempt for the conventional values of society became a prevailing theme of modern American literature, as writers like T.S. Eliot turned the focus of their works away from the portrayal and praise of upper and middle class society and toward their personal critique of this mode of life. Eliot's poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," embodies this popular modern theme by directing the reader's attention toward how an individual is subconsciously affected by the standards of society by focusing on the self and how social ethics can drive feelings of inadequacy and alienation.
Upon reading Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the first question which sprang to my mind was the question of how Eliot, a poet who was in his mid-twenties at the time, was able to write a poem dealing with the problems of aging in such a penetrating manner. Upon closer examination, however, I realized that Prufrock's aging was only incidental to his central problem. Prufrock's major problem is a problem of existential anguish. Prufrock's doubts about aging at a dinner party are merely one example of this anguish, and this party brings his psychology into sharp focus when the reader examines closely the moment in which the poem's events occur.
Alfred Prufrock”indicates the spiritual emptiness and disillusionment of people , chaos, and futility of modern life and nothingness of human existence on a meaningless world. This is what the poet intends to disclose. And love songs, as many expect, must be very sweet and romantic. Love must be connected with something pleasant. Yet the love song of Prufrock seems very sentimental and sorrowful. The first stanza of the poem presents an unpleasant sight to us.“when the evening is spread out against the sky, Like a patient etherized upon a table”, Prufrock perceives the sunset as a patient oozing on the operation table. Through Prufrock’ s“stream of consciousness”,“ half-deserted streets, cheap hotel, dust restaurants”-the living conditions of the poor appear before him. The situations and the atmosphere are not in harmony with a real love song. This reveals the state of mind of Prufrock, who is not happy, but in a melancholy mood. There is a repetition of the line“In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo”demonstrates the women of fashion pose as a lover of culture and show off their culture accomplishment. They pretend to be educated and converse with so-called civilized gentlemen to relieve their boredom. People in the genteel society in the party eat, drink, dance, and talk to kill much time. This description of the life of genteel society forms a sharp contrast to the poor district with its
Eliot, Thomas Stearns. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry. 3rd ed. Ed. Jahan Ramazani, Richard Ellmann, and Robert O’Clair. New York: Norton, 2003. 463-466.
Because the poem is a “love song,” it is immediately apparent that women will play a very large role throughout the poem. The fact that the women in this particular poem can be placed under one of two categories, neither of which contains attainable objects of Prufrock’s affection, is a prominent example of his failure.
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.
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is hardly a love song at all. That irony is clear in that the narrator’s voice is anxious, self-conscious, and depressed. It seems he has wasted his life or that life was wasted on him, and he regrets not being born as a creature that lives on the bottom of the sea. The very last lines of the poem,
In T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the author is establishing the trouble the narrator is having dealing with middle age. Prufrock(the narrator) believes that age is a burden and is deeply troubled by it.. His love of some women cannot be because he feels the prime of his life is over. His preoccupation with the passing of time characterizes the fear of aging he has. The poem deals with the aging and fears associated with it of the narrator. The themes of insecurity and time are concentrated on. This insecurity is definitely a hindrance for him. It holds him back from doing the things he wishes to do. This is the sort of characteristic that makes Alfred into a tragic, doomed character. He will not find happiness until he finds self-assurance within himself. The repetition of words like vision and revision, show his feelings of inadequacy in communicating with the people around him.
T.S. Eliot 's The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock, published in 1915, is a prime sample of Modernist literature: the reader must tease out and untangle its central themes in order to fathom what exactly it is about. But we 'll still never be totally sure - this is what makes Eliot 's writing style so unique and so highly regarded. The Modernist writers, with their predilection for the abstract, thrived on leaving their audiences in a state of confusion, as a means of mirroring the distress caused by the looming threat of destruction and war in the early twentieth century. It could be said that all writers rely on metaphor as they can be crucial to creative expression, but Eliot avoids convention in that instead of creating understanding for
T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” draws attention to the idea that time is of the essence. On the surface, Prufrock is portrayed as a man who is incapable of making decisions and lacks self-confidence. This is evident through his passive nature, where he continuously delays having to talk to women because he believes there is enough time. Written in the era of modernism, the reader is capable of unraveling that the poem’s true purpose was not only to show Prufrock’s inability to make decisions when it comes to love, but to show the desolation that one faces in times of a modernistic transition. Eliot depicts Prufrock’s transition phase through a gloomy and solemn tone, incorporating imagery, metaphor and synecdoche to fully illustrate Prufrock’s despondent state of mind and spirit.
Modernism is a terminology given by historians to literature movement around late nineteenth century. It is a movement in the arts which purpose is to produce art different traditional forms. Its literature aim is to criticize problems of their world. They use specific characteristics implicitly and explicitly; implicitly to send messages to each other or to educated people in authority or explicitly to influence public opinions. “We are talking about two chronologies. One is the sequence of texts; the other is the sequence of intellectual movements. Such as feminism or such as Marxism which change the way we read texts.” (Armstrong). One of the most influential modernist writers is Thomas Stearns Eliot. His one of many poems Preludes is a direct and indirect criticism to his society. I will discuss in the following paragraphs how structuralism, Marxism, feminism approaches are found in the poem and how historical background of the poem can add more understanding of modernism.