THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK

The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a dramatic monologue, written by T. S. Eliot, in which J. Alfred Prufrock dialogues with his consciousness. Right from the title the intelligent reader understands that it is a love song so we should expect a song which talks about love. Eliot chooses the dramatic monologue because he wants to focus the attention on consciousness. He uses the just-apposition of scenes as it happens in fiction. It is composed either by the classic monologue (Hamlet) or the dramatic monologue. The song is written in free verse. The main character is a common middle aged man, who is generally the main character of every poem in modernism , he has already lived a lot of his life and he reflects about life in general.

In this song the main character Prufrock wonders if he should reveal his feelings. Right from the start Eliot uses an epigraph, an intertextual quotation, to prepare the reader to listen to something new. It is taken from Dante's Hell. The structure is made up by the just-apposition of scenes, which create a dramatic effect.

The poem is characterized by a wide use of images which evoke sensations. That's to say we can find Eliot's "objective correlative". In fact, according to the author, the only way of expressing emotions in art is the use of a set of objects, situations or a chain of events which evoke particular emotions.

In the first scene the reader finds a metaphor of the evening which is compared to an etherized patient: the evening is paralyzed, unable to move. The following lines describe images which express decline and ugly aspects of the modern cities. The images evoke unpleasant sensations.

In the refrain "in the room ... Michelangelo" there is a metaphor which expresses women's stupidity, who talk about Michelangelo. He represents a very high topic for them.

In the second scene Prufrock describes the evening through the movements of a cat: as the fog hits against the window so, a cat rubs its back upon the window.

The third scene is about time. Eliot uses a lot of repetitions to express the sensation of time that goes by. Prufrock wonders if he should reveal his feelings to his lover before taking toast and tea. "And indeed there will be time" ( line 24) with this sentence Prufrock makes excuses for himself; he assures himself there will be time to act. The word "indeed" references to Prufrock' s inability to act.

The fourth and fifth scenes go on talking about time again and the fear of the effects of it: indeed Prufrock is reflecting about the passing of time, the reader can notice that Prufrock is not only paralyzed in the present, but he seems also to have lost the sense of time. He fears that he will "disturb the universe" (line 45). Prufrock uses the metaphor of the insect in order to underline that he fears to be scrutinized. Prufrock uses with irony the word "presume" which means to undertake something without a clear justification: a boldness Prufrock surely lacks.

Going on reading the song the reader notices again that Eliot uses the objective correlative: to express Prufrock' s emotional life he uses concrete symbols. The repetition of "and" ( lines 61-68-69-85-86) suggests a repetitive, inescapable present tense.

At lines 73-74 "I should .. of silent seas" the intelligent reader can notice the third image of an animal quoted by Prufrock which paints a pathetic portrait of him. The suggestion of a crab is perhaps an allusion to Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in which Hamlet mocks Polonius.

At line 86 Prufrock is saying to his consciousness he fears social action.

At line 99 "And would ... after all" by the use of the conditional tense the intelligent reader understands Prufrock is reviewing actions he has yet to take. Moreover time has accelerated his aging process.

Going on reading Prufrock affirms that he is not Prince Hamlet but an anti-hero. He is the Fool, the character who is authorized to act as he wants. The absence of the word "I" at line 112 underlines the lack of Prufrock' s ego. The numerous pauses from commas and semicolons in the scene underline Prufrock' s paralysis.

At lines 120- 121 Prufrock continues to be anxious about time and future.

At lines 122 Prufrock knows he is going to die soon but he still cannot even "dare to eat a peach". The peach could be the image of female genitalia. Prufrock is anxious about eating a peach.

Later Prufrock switches his attention to the mermaids (line 124). Mermaids are conventionally depicted combining their hair with a mirror, so they are symbols of vanity and lush beauty.

But they aren't singing for Prufrock. Time went by and he "lingered in the chambers of sea". He has lost his occasions. He is old; he is drowning.