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Eliot regarded poetry as ‘relief from acute discomfort’ and ‘escape from emotion’

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Transformation of the poet's experience of alienation and isolation into an objective, relatable experience in which the reader can locate truths about themselves.

Eliot renounces the material world and the isolation and disenchantment it has created.

Harbinger of Modernism

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Roz Kaveney considers 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' as a poem that both grapples with the modern world and looks back to the work of writers such as Dante, Robert Browning, Henry James and Stéphane Mallarmé.

Modernism in the arts was less a moment than a movement - a movement away from modes of expression that had come to seem worn out as much as a movement towards something specifically new. It is easier to see this in retrospect than it was at the time. The great artists of the modernist movement almost never produced its canonical masterpieces on a first attempt. Instead, they were preceded by something that was almost new, almost fresh, yet still felt for the most part as if were part of late romanticism, Impressionism or Art Nouveau. Of course there are precise moments - the moment in Schoenberg's Second String Quartet when the music abandons tonality altogether and a soprano sings of 'the air of other planets'; or Picasso's Demoiselle's D'Avignon where the prettiness of the acrobats and lovers of his blue and pink periods is abandoned for something at once harsh, archaic and foreign. And of course, there is Eliot's The Waste Land...

The Waste Land by T S Eliot, Hogarth Press edition

Front cover from the Hogarth Press edition of T S Eliot's The Waste Land, 1923. The poem was first published in America in 1922.

Prufrock, and other observations by T S Eliot

Front cover to T S Eliot's Prufrock, and other observations published by The Egoist in 1917.

Looking forwards and backwards

Before The Waste Land, however, there was ' The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock', a poem which looks forwards and backwards - backwards all the way to Dante, whom Eliot quotes extensively in the epigraph, and to the poetry of Mallarmé and Robert Browning - both of whom are best remembered for this kind of character-revealing monologue. It also looks backwards to then comparatively recent prose fiction, to the novellas of Henry James and HG Wells, and forwards to Eliot's future career and to what he feared becoming if he were not a poet. Eliot's parents hoped that he would return to the USA, perhaps to a respectable career as a university teacher; they were not at all keen on the idea of his becoming a poet and threatened to limit his access to family money.

Eliot's mother was a poet, writing deeply banal religious poetry - but this was a supplement to her life as wife and parent, not a career. Her poems were celebrations of strictness and mission, featuring saints, martyrs and preachers. Charlotte Eliot would have read Eliot's early poems, and would have found 'Prufrock' vaguely insulting to the aesthetic pretensions of her class ('In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo'). Further, at around the same time that 'Prufrock' was published in the journal Poetry, he entered into his doomed marriage with Vivienne, a woman of whom his parents disapproved even before meeting her.

'"Prufrock and other Observations": A Criticism' by May Sinclair, from the Little Review

In her review of Prufrock and other Observations May Sinclair addresses how T S Eliot's poetry challenged conventional public taste.

A fragmentary cityscape

Technically, 'Prufrock' is a free-flowing rhapsodic poem whose metre varies but whose essential pulse is iambic pentameters. It is a dramatic monologue - a poem in the form of a narrative by an imagined person, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a particular situation. It is as ironic and subtextual as Browning poems like 'My Last Duchess', in that Prufrock reveals to his hearer perhaps rather more even than his confession. It also resembles the poetry of Mallarmé, particularly 'Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun', in its dreaminess and its inability to stay entirely on the point from moment to moment, establishing its overall portrayal by intense fragments - it is not just an Impressionist poem, but a pointillist one, like Seurat in painting or the preludes of Debussy in music. Like Mallarmé's half-awake faun, Prufrock inhabits a fractured cityscape that reflects not only his own lack of certainty and purpose, but by extension that of the entire modern world. It is not only he that seems half-asleep - none of the people he observes seem fully conscious.

Its opening lines and image - 'Let us go then you and I, / When the evening lies stretched out against the sky / Like a patient etherised upon a table;' - indicate with clear deliberation that from now on poetics will not necessarily be restricted to the beautiful. Interestingly, a much later attempt to create a new language - William Gibson's manifesto/novel for cyberpunk, Neuromancer - imitates Eliot in this: 'The sky above the port was the color of television tuned, to a dead channel'.

Rhyme and interruption

Eliot uses intermittent rhymes, sometimes couplets, sometimes strings of three rhyming lines. These sometimes hold a section of the poem in an expressive sweep that will then be broken by a strong statement, sometimes for a deliberate bathos that undercuts any sense of Prufrock as a tragic figure: 'I grow old...I grow old... / I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.' Yet some of the most memorable lines - deliberate interruptions of the flow of Prufrock's thought - are completely outside the main flow of rhyme, while having internal rhymes of their own: 'I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.'

Time and ageing

'Prufrock' is a poem about time and ageing: 'Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons. / I have measured out my life in coffee spoons.' Prufrock is worried that the women he pursues at bourgeois parties will notice that he is losing his hair or speculate on his health. from an early stage in his life Eliot talked of himself as old - later on, in his 40s, he thought of himself as 'an aged eagle' and as the old man Gerontion, but even here, in his 27th year, he is worrying that life will pass him by if he does not act. If, as I maintain, Prufrock is a speculative portrait of whom he might be if he takes the wrong path, then this was only the first time that he would speculate on a personal alternate timeline. Later, in Four Quartets he was to write:

What might have been is an abstraction
Remaining a perpetual possibility
Only in a world of speculation.

The fog

The great cloud beast of the poem (the fog, the smoke and the afternoons of boredom are described as if some vast lazy predator) perhaps derives from, and is certainly cognate with, Henry James's novella of 1903, 'The Beast in the Jungle', the protagonist of which avoids commitment to a good woman and engagement with life because of a sense of lurking catastrophe, only to find that the catastrophe he sensed was precisely his boredom and his sense of utter futility. Eliot feared just such a fate - and in 'Prufrock' he depicts it, a man wandering from social engagement to social engagement, never quite prepared to talk of his spiritual death or to risk sexual rejection by women who might say: 'That is not it at all / That is not what I meant, at all.'

This fear produces a diffidence, a coyness in Prufrock: 'squeezed the universe into a ball' is an echo of Marvell's love poem To His Coy Mistress: 'Let us roll all our strength and all / Our sweetness up into one ball.' Eliot was of course a great admirer of the poetry of the 17th century, and the comparison of the gauche, cowardly Prufrock to a gallant like Andrew Marvell is entirely to the modern figure's disadvantage.

A damned soul

As so often in his later poems, Eliot starts with an epigraph, here an extended quotation from Dante's Inferno in which Guido de Montefeltro, damned both for treachery and failed repentance, confesses all to Dante, thinking him already dead and in Hell. Prufrock, we may take it, is a damned soul too, talking as if to someone who shares his damnation, the damnation of a bourgeois boredom that can only be escaped by some radical act of truth-telling: '"I am Lazarus, come from the dead, / Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all"' Or perhaps by risking the embarrassments of the sexual life, either being rejected by women of his own class or knowing the naked white arms of sex workers, and then being dragged back to respectability and its consequences.

Guido is a great sinner, Prufrock a petty one, who frequents low streets as a voyeur perhaps, or as a purchaser of sexual services. Prufrock is aware of his own unimportance - 'I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be' - and fears that he is the Fool. Perhaps he would be better off not even being human - 'a pair of ragged claws'; Wells's time traveller sees some such beast at the end of time, abandoning the land on a dying earth - again possibly not a conscious reference, but certainly an expression of the same mood. Much later - in Four Quartets - Eliot was to come back to the question of the path not taken, the choice of how to live one's life. Here he looks at the comfortable bourgeois life of his parents, with its conventional culture ('In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo') and its secret sins and double standards, and mocks and rejects it.

Eliot was taking risks with his life. He did not have the arrogance to think of himself as the major poet we now know him to be, and the hostility of his parents meant he had to find a way of making a living, and his relationship with Vivienne was to prove disastrous for both.

But better to take risks than to be Prufrock.

For more T S Eliot content explore works published by Faber & Faber.

Roz Kaveney is a freelance writer and publisher's advisor. Her poetry collections include Dialectic of the Flesh; her books on popular culture include Reading the Vampire Slayer. Her most recent novels are Resurrections and Tiny Pieces of Skull.

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the love song of j. alfred prufrock:  fragmentation

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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: fragmentation, interruption and fog

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Roz Kaveney considers 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' as a poem that both grapples with the modern world and looks back to the work of writers such as Dante, Robert Browning, Henry James and Stéphane Mallarmé.

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According to Irving Howe, modernism is ‘a dynamism of asking questions and of learning not to reply. The past was devoted to answers, the modern period confines itself to questions.’

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From "Prufrock and other observations: A Criticism":
"His reality (Eliot's) may be a modern drawing room; this may be an ordinary human mind suddenly and fatally aware of what is happening to it; Mr Eliot is careful to present his street and his drawing room as they are, and Pruforcks thoughts as they are: live thoughts, kicking, running about and jumping, nervy, in a live brain"

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Imperative voice and anaphora reflects ironically Prufrock’s desire for action. Yet, he uses the phrase ‘Let us go’ that is self-conscious and mannered. The simile that follows reinforces this.

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Katleigh is a college student with a love for dystopian novels, political poetry, and words that are too big to use in normal conversation.

Introduction to The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, like much of T. S. Eliot's work, questions societal norms and points out the flawed living of empty social rituals and linguistic cliches (Damrosch 733). It is a story that echoes into today's hollow society and tells the tale of one man's experience with unrequited love and a greater longing for something bigger than "tea and cakes and ices" (Eliot 736). A product of his times, our main man seems to feel out of place - and rightfully so. J. Alfred Prufrock, the pessimistic protagonist, seeks deeper meaning in the seemingly meaningless actions of those around him, using powerful literary devices to pull the reader deep into his world. He is stifled by their petty standards and feels helpless, while at the same time grappling with his feelings for a woman whom he thinks wouldn't understand his hesitations. Prufrock is caught between his own dismal introspection and the longing for a companion who is part of the problem. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock grapples with unbridled emotions and a deep introspection that hits the reader and entices them to think past their own reservations. While it serves as a depiction of the time, it still holds meaning to many of us in a more modern era.

The Effects of T. S. Eliot's Writing

This distress that so many felt with modern life was carried by Elliot across nations, where his American writing style edited the British canon. As a naturalized British citizen who was born and raised in the southern United States, he worked as an editor and laid the foundation for what was to be known as New Criticism, a literary model widely utilized by universities across English-speaking nations at the time. (733). While many literary experts consider a set of four poems called the Four Quarters to be his crowning achievement, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is what first thrust Eliot into London's literary scene (733). While it is a meaningful piece of work in its own right, the poem is often seen as a counterpoint to the dramatic monologue written by the nineteenth-century poet, Robert Browning (733).

His work remains widespread to this day, with many of his readers having the first contact through literature classes in secondary or post-secondary school.

A Short Biography of T. S. Eliot

Allusions and Literary References

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock begins with a quote from Dante Alighieri's Inferno in the original Italian, the first of many outside literary references Eliot makes. The poem seems to be steeped in allusions, which lends an air of authority to J. Alfred Prufrock's narrative. This literary device also gives the reader an impression that Prufrock is well-educated and intelligent, hinting at his middle or upper-class status in society. It later uses several Biblical references; the first occurrence is a direct mention of the story of Lazarus, while the others allude to lesser known stories, such as John the Baptist's death when referring to his head upon a platter, as well as the passages in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 that refer to a time to murder and create (Eliot 734). In addition to adding a somber tone throughout the poem, it also gives the reader a lens to see Prufrock's true self; a quiet man with a deep knowledge and passive acceptance. With a Biblical backdrop, one can see that Prufrock, in some ways, adheres to the social conventions at the time and is in touch with at least some of them - even if it is begrudgingly so. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock also alludes to Shakespeare's Hamlet, with Prufrock pointing out that he is not as courageous and is happy as (sarcastically so, one could presume) "an attendant lord... deferential, glad to be of use" and not Prince Hamlet (Eliot 734). He is once again showing his meek nature and unwillingness to take a leading role in even his own life.

J. Alfred Prufrock's Perception of Himself

One of the first things the reader notices is Prufrock's own self-doubt and social awkwardness, continuously recounting how others may make fun of his physical features at his every action, from the turning of his head (They will say: How his hair is growing thin!) to his choice of apparently unflattering clothing (They will say: But how his arms and legs are thin!) (Eliot 735). He is upset that others view him mostly by his physical appearance and seemingly strange demeanor, instead of by his true intentions and feelings. This lingering doubt that others place on his shoulders weigh heavy on Prufrock. This is evident later on, when towards the end of the poem, he reiterates this, asking himself how he should part his own hair and whether a peach is too messy for him to eat in public. It becomes scathingly evident that Prufrock is as unconfident in his own actions as he is in others' inaction. However, he seems to cling to his religious faith and a satirical view of life as a method of coping, in his multitude of Biblical allusions, whether as a guide or a means of relatable characters.

Prufrock is the anti-hero of his own story, never reaching his goal of asking the woman he cares for so dearly to share their lives nor truly resolving his internal conflicts. Instead, he reminiscences over lost youth and dwells on his inadequacies, which cause him to lose faith in himself in the same way he is losing faith in society as a whole. His mentions of sirens may be a hint at the old adage of feeling lost at sea, as well as a reminder of his hopelessness with women.

What is J. Alfred Prufrock Looking For?

As the poem progresses, it becomes apparent that Prufrock is an affluent man who is not only tired of social pressures but with his own incompetence in withstanding these external forces. As mentioned earlier, he seems to be longing for the attention of a single person, presumably, a woman, asking "Is it perfume from a dress - That makes me so digress?" (Eliot 738). This unknown lady's attention distracts Prufrock throughout The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. In the first few lines, he seems to ask for "an evening spread out against the sky - Like a patient etherized upon a table"; with his interest. This line gives a sense of Prufrock's numbness with the societal standards heaved upon him and may be a hint towards a want of a physical relationship, even if he feels it may not yield fruitful.

He continues, talking frequently about her arms, braceleted and bare, even noting he has noticed the light brown hair in the lamplight (Eliot 735). It seems that Prufrock is infatuated with every aspect of her and wishes that she would make the first move to begin a more committed, romantic relationship. He makes a note of her outside of the writhing masses that judge him, hoping she would notice he has misspoken and forgive him regardless, as seen in lines 97 - 110. His clumsy social standings render him unable to advance in his passion, and Prufrock compares himself to a bug mounted on a pin for observation, obviously uncomfortable with what he feels is the constant examination of his peers.

It is never explicitly stated, but one can infer that he plans on asking this woman for her hand in marriage, but loses faith at the last minute. The frequent pressing of "And should I then presume" reflects his own self-doubt. He dreams about this mysterious woman in the way a teenager might, going over in his own mind how and when he should ask her. Even in the opening lines, he is thinking of asking her this pressing question, losing faith with "Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' - Let us go and make our visit."

Imagery and Other Literary Devices

Another potent literary device is the rich imagery that is displayed in the text. A recurring subject throughout the poem is the yellow smoke or in some cases, yellow fog mentioned first in line 15 (Eliot 734). It conjures the image of smog trailing London streets and is a potent symbol of the fogginess Prufrock may have seen in others, as they carelessly rolled onto the next day without seeing what he viewed as their fatal flaws. This smoke even stops to sleep, seeing that it was a soft October night, and again reminds the reader of the dreary, dismal mood in this section of the poem (734). The smoke as a player in and of itself, animalistic but not malevolent, is an interesting characteristic. It may represent societal values, lingering in Prufrock's mind despite his desperate attempts at escape. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock remains in the bleak mood until Prufrock seems to begin to question the meanings of his own existence. The varied sentence length, beginning at line 37, allows the poem to take a turn. It seems suddenly alive and excited, prompting the reader to answer the rhetorical questions that Prufrock asks himself. He realizes that most of his actions are calculated, and the aforementioned social rituals are empty and only biding time. This enlivened atmosphere also plays on how he perceives others around him - as mere voices hiding behind the music, while he is exact, having measured out my life with coffee spoons; (735).

Summary of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Very few works of English literature so masterfully portray the discontentment of an era as The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Eliot successfully combined the unnerving social tension that the twentieth century had to offer with a relatable love story that could be brushed off. Riddled with Biblical references and steeped in rich imagery, its a poem for readers who don't like poetry. It is elegant and precise, like the best of poetry, but thoughtful and invigorating, reminiscent of a short story. It hits somewhere inside the reader, taking hold of every insecurity, every unanswered "what if", to remind us to seize what is in front of us, and make an example of poor Prufrock and his unrequited love.

Sources

Damrosch, David, Editor. T. S. Eliot, (1888-1965). Gateways to World Literature: Volume 2: The Seventeenth Century to Today, edited by David Damrosch. Pearson Education, Inc., 2012. pp. 733.

Eliot, T. S. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Gateways to World Literature: Volume 2: The Seventeenth Century to Today. Pearson Education, Inc., 2012. pp. 734-737.

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A Critical Analysis and Literary Summary of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot

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Katleigh is a college student with a love for dystopian novels, political poetry, and words that are too big to use in normal conversation. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, like much of T. S. Eliot's work, questions societal norms and points out the flawed living of empty social rituals and linguistic cliches (Damrosch 733).