ANALYSIS OF THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK  BY T.S.ELIOT

The text that I have to analyze is The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock  and it is a poem published in 1915 by T.S. Eliot; in particular it is a dramatic interior monologue which is carried out by J. Albert Prufrock, who is the dramatis persona and who is emotively separated by the poet.

Considering the structure of the text  the reader can notice that it is arranged into an epigraph, which is followed by nineteen stanzas with different length and what comes immediately on surface is that the second and the fifth stanza are the same and they seem to be a refrain.

The epigraph is an extract taken from Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia, Inferno, Canto XXVI, 61 – 66. In particular the extract is a dialogue between Guido da Montefeltro and Dante. Guido da Montefeltro is not afraid of speaking with him because he is sure that Dante will not back to life and so their discussion will remain a secret. So the intelligent reader can make a comparison between Guido da Montefeltro and J. Alfred Prufrock; indeed on one hand Guido da Montefeltro opens his inner world to Dante, on the other hand J. Alfred Prufrock expresses his most inner thoughts to an unknown interlocutor. Both are sure that their discourses will remain secrets.

The monologue starts with an exhortation (Let us go then) to an unknown you to run away in the dusk. It seems the typical invitation of a lover escape in the romantic nocturnal landscape but the idyllic image is broken by some similes which are grotesque. The first simile is the one in the third line (Like a patient etherized upon a table); here the evening is compared to a dead body that is prepared for an examination. It follows that the reader associates anxiety to the evening and so the image of the dark sky reminds the idea of the doubts and insecurities within Prufrock’s mind. The second simile is the one in the eighth line (Streets that follow like a tedious argument) and it contributes together with the first simile and the high density of sound “s” (sawdust, oyster – shells) to underline the coldness of the evening and so the presence of something hidden in Prufrock’s unconscious. From these consideration it follows that the text is not a “Love Song” as the title suggests, but a dramatic monologue, arranged into juxtaposed scenes and images. Indeed Prufrock is making a dialogue with his consciousness and so the pronoun you refers to his consciousness and the expression make our visit at the end of the text reminds the idea of Prufrock’s voyage in his inner mind. To conclude it is very important to notice that at the end of the text there is an expression that focuses the reader’s attention that is to say: Oh, do not ask, “What is it?” / Let us go and make our visit. Here it seems as if the writer makes a pact with the reader, but in particular here Prufrock makes a pact with his consciousness: if his consciousness follows him, it will find the answer of the question “What is it?”.

The second stanza is the refrain that I have quoted at the beginning of my analysis and it is repeated also in the fifth stanza. They tell about women walking in a room and talking about Michelangelo. It goes without saying that the image considered does not deal with Prufrock’s monologue but the intelligent reader can suppose that Eliot’s intention was to remind the idea of the physical voyage that, according to Modernist’s  necessity to put at the centre of investigation the most inner character’s thoughts , is less important than the psychological one. Moreover the absence of details as well as the juxtaposition of the verbs come and go reminds the idea of the illogical disorder of the mind, in particular of Prufrock’s one.

The third stanza expresses the actions made by fog and smoke which are described as a cat who continuously walk. The intelligent reader can make this comparison thanks to the language used; indeed expressions like fog that rubs its back upon the window – panes, smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window- panes, licked its tongue into the corners of evening together with rhymes like panes – drains, leap – asleep contributes to remind the idea of cat. Moreover it is important to notice that the description of the smog reminds the sullen image of the first stanza.

The fourth stanza may be considered an expansion of the third one because smoke and fog are described in the same way of the third stanza, but what really connects them is the yellow colour that may be considered as a leitmotiv. In the fourth stanza the concept of time is introduced thanks to the expression there will be time and it is very important and it may be considered the main theme of Prufrock’s dramatic monologue. Time is here considered as something unstoppable and the repetition of the expression that I have quoted before highlights the sense of procrastination that characterizes Prufrock. Indeed he is afraid of life, he may be considered an anti – hero because of his inability to act, he tries to convince himself that he has still time to make lots of actions before dying. Indeed the expression Before the taking of a toast and tea reminds the idea of peace that people can reach only when they die.

After all these consideration about the concept of time the refrain about women walking and talking about Michelangelo may be considered as an event that underlines the flow of time.

The fourth and the sixth stanza are connected because of the concept of time and Prufrock’s inability to act; indeed his inability is underlined by the question Do I dare?. J. Albert Prufrock has to dare, to put himself to test if he wants to escape from a future full of desolation that is announced by words like: bald spot, arms and legs thin, collar ; he has to disturb the universe and he has to do this choice in a minute because people can change their life in a time span of a minute. Moreover it is very interesting the presence of another voice, that is the voice of people; this device allows the reader to understand that Prufrock is a very weak man because he is interested in people’s opinion.

The seventh, the eighth and the ninth stanza may be analyzed together; here the insecurity of the speaking voice seems to disappear. Indeed he starts stating that he had known all: I have known them all already, I have known the eyes already, I have known the arms already, but, however, although he would act (How should I presume?) he does not know how to start (How should I begin?). The repetition of the two last quotations considered underlines Prufrock’s insecurity and fright of acting. Moreover within the stanzas considered time is measured with coffee spoons and the narrator uses a language that appeals to sense impression: sight (eyes), smell (perfume), touch (arms) and hearing (music).

In the tenth and eleventh stanza the character reflects on what he could have been; he could have been a pair of ragged claw and the idea of this image is created thanks to the harsh sound of the expression itself.

In the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth stanzas it is underlined Prufrock’s remorse about his inability to act, he is becoming old, he is not a prophet but he can see his fragility and it seems as if he faced the eternal Footman that is to say Death. So the character demonstrates his human nature, he is afraid as well as a common human being, he is unable to say what he wants (That is not it at all / That is not what I meant, at all) and all this is confirmed by the long list of material things which seem to be in contrast with the Biblical myth of Lazarus; indeed Lazarus is able to state all (I shall tell you all). The quotation of the Biblical myth of Lazarus reminds the idea of Guido da Montefeltro’s quotation and before Lazarus’ quotation the leitmotiv of overwhelming questions comes on surface again.

In the following stanzas the speaking voice reflects on his role of character and makes a comparison between Hamlet and himself. The difference between them is that at the end Hamlet decides “to be”, while Prufrock decides “not to be” and being overwhelmed by time.

To conclude the last stanzas speak about the mythological figures of mermaids, which represents the call of death. Here the intelligent reader can notice the use of Eliot mythical method because there is a parallel between Prufrock and Ulysses. But, differently from Ulysses, in the song there is no success: we drown.