The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T. S. Eliot

The poem is a dramatic monologue, which title makes the reader expecting to read something related to love and presents the protagonist of the poem, Prufrock, who is the " dramatis personae". The poet may took the title from another poem, written By Rudyard Kipling, The Love Song of Her Dyal.
The very first lines report an epigraph, taken from Dante's 27 Canto dell' Inferno. In this part of Dante's work, he met Guido da Montefeltro, who was guilty of malice. IN THE EPIGRAPH, Mr Eliot reported the part in which the soul tells his story, only because he is sure that it will remain a secret. Even Prufrock believes that his thoughts will remain a secret, so he confesses his love and his fears.
First stanza
The first stanza begins with an invitation " let us go then, you and I" and in the second line there are references to the time: it is evening. The evening is related to the image of the darkness, which could frighten or give a sense of protection. It is a spiritual moment, and it is also the moment of the lovers ( with reference to Romeo and Juliet). If the beginning seems happy, the image of the third verse turns this expectation upside down: indeed Eliot presents the cruel image of a patient etherised upon a table. Another cold image is that of the motel, in which two lovers usually meet; but their love is related only to senses, it is not a spiritual one. The image of the streets ( v. 8) refers to the mind streets, the streets of one's consciousness, a consciousness that cannot answer or solve some dramatic problems.
Reframe
The reframe is the structuring principle of the poem and it represents the contemporary vulgarity , made up by inconsistent dialogs.
Second Stanza
It describes an internal setting by the point of view of a cat and by its movement, using words which refers to it. The setting reminds to the idea of protection, against the outside world related to the image of the danger.
Third stanza
In the third stanza Mr Eliot introduces the main topic of the poem: the concept of time. The time slips by, and the human beings seems to not be aware of that, throwing the time away to prepare " a face to meet the faces that you meet", because nobody shows himself as he really is ( with reference to the concept of identity and intertextuality).
Prufrock wasted his time in the middle of his indecision; he did not act, as Eveline did. He was paralysed. The last verse refers to the measure of the time, which is beat by ordinary acts, by routine. Make up life by routine, mechanize it is one of the ways the human being found to feel protect, sure.
Reframe
Fourth stanza
In the fourth stanza the poet deals with the time passing, describing how Prufrock's body changed. In that way he introduces the point of view of the other people, presenting the character by an external consideration. We can also find the critique addressed to whom judges people only basing on the appearances with the result of speaking without really knowing about what he is speaking. ( It is also the critique expressed in the reframe).
Then there is the description of another possibility of the time: it can change situations.
Fifth stanza
The first verse seems referred to women, but it is not. It refers to the parts of the day. Prufrock has spent his days, drinking coffees and asking himself if presume or not.
Sixth stanza
In this stanza Mr Eliot renders the sadness and the pain of Prufrock, using the metaphor of the pin. The protagonist starts to become aware of the time he wasted deciding if he should have presume or if he should not.
Seventh and Eighth stanzas
The writer focuses the attention on Prufrock's indecision.
Ninth stanza
The most important element of this stanza is the protagonist confession: he was afraid. But now is too late, the only possibility he has now is to feel sorry for himself.
Tenth stanza
Prufrock admits that it should have been better to reveal to the woman he love. Two images are important in this stanza: the image of a smile and that of the dead, which contrasts.
Eleventh stanza
While he is regretting about his lack of courage, he confesses that he is not able to explain what he means, he is not able to express himself, there are no words.
Twelfth stanza
The protagonist says he is not as the Shakespearian character  Hamlet; both of the characters cannot take a decision and spend their time asking themselves what they should do, without acting or materialize their decisions.
The climax is maximum when Prufrock defines himself the " Fool": he knows that he lied to himself and that he tried to show himself as someone he was not.
Thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth stanzas
Time has passed by. Now the protagonist asks himself important questions, by which come out his fear. The most interesting image is that of the mermaids singing, which recalls Ulysses' story. " I do not think they will sing to me" says Prufrock. He heard them, but he knows that their song was not sung for him.
Sixteenth stanza
The end of the poem contains a moral lesson : it worthwhile to risk, to hazard. Life is one, and time , even it does not seem, implacably passes by. The last verse carries the image of a drowning. The image recalls the concept of disappearance, which could be effective or which could allegorically  refers to drown into the mass, to become one of many, as the others, loosing, in that way, your identity.