Analysis of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" of T. S. Eliot

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a poem written by T. S. Eliot and it belongs to the collection named "Prufrock and Other Observations" (1920). It is an example of dramatic monologue, which is characterized by three aspetcs. Firstly, dramatic monologues are the utterances of a specific individual (not the poet) at a specific moment in time. Secondly, thay are specifically directed at a listener or listeners whose presence is not directly referenced but is merely suggested in the speaker’s words. Thirdly, the primary focus is the development and revelation of the speaker’s character. T. S. Eliot modernizes the form by removing the implied listeners and focusing on Prufrock’s interiority and isolation.

The poem consists of an epigraph and seventeen stanzas with different length.

The song starts with a quotation from Canto XXVII of "Hell" in Dante's "Divine Comedy". The episode deals with the story of Guido da Montefeltro: he decides to tell Dante his story, because he is sure that Dante will not come back to life and their dialogue will remain private and secret. The epigraph has the function to introduce the situation and it allows to see an analogy between Prufrock and Guido: indeed, they both hide a secret that they are not able to reveal. Thus, the reader can see that maybe Prufrock wants his declaration of love to be secret.

The poem begins with an exhortation: "Let us go then, you and I". This refers to the beginning of a journey, of a quest for meaning (Quest), which addresses an undefinite "you", a silent listener. The speaking voice invites the reader to walk with him through the streets on the evening, that is presented in line 3 like "a patient etherized upon a table". This similarity conveys the absence of life, so a raw image that certainly leaves a feeling of fear in the reader. From the outset, the theme of travel is clear and it can lead to the question "What is it?". It refers to a search for an absolute truth, that Prufrock is following; he is plagued by doubts and insecurities and maybe the pronoun "you" is his conscience. Between the first and the second stanza there is a sort of refrain, that is repeated also between the third and fourth stanza. It outlines the image of women who come and go talking of Michelangelo, and it symbolizes the vulgarity of that time. In the second stanza the narrator presents the actions of the fog and smoke, which are a symbol of inability, and the continuing need to protect themselves, not to act, typical of Modernism. The scene is an autumn scene and it is personified, indeed the fog seems to be a cat (rubs its back, licked its tongue, slipped, curled, fell asleep).

In the third stanza the theme of the passing of time appears and it is linked to indecision of Prufrock, so the inability to decide, to evaluate. Indeed, time and indecision are keywords. In the last line there is a specific image, where Prufrock thinks to be with the woman he does not dare to make a declaration of love. In the fourth stanza through the expression "there will be time", Prufrock states that there will still be time to make decisions because there is no hurry. So, this aspect highlights once again the indecision that characterizes the protagonist. The following stanzas highlight the theme of the passing of time and they seem to be as a justification for the perplexity of Prufrock. Indeed, he raises some questions that he obviously can not give an answer; here the intelligent reader can understand that Prufrock is a typical character of Modernism: he is not a hero, he isn't a self-assured man and he can not take decisions, indeed he is the symbol of the anti-hero.

In the tenth stanza Prufrock reflects about his life and the missed opportunities. For this reason, there is the image of the eternal Footman that is the metaphor of death. The protagonist is too afraid of death and he can see his fragility. Then, Prufrock continues his reflection on his past, and in particular he focuses on the consequences that would bring his decisions.

In the fourteenth stanza there are two metaphors: the one of Prince Hamlet and the second of the Fool. Prufrock likens himself to Prince Hamlet, the title character from Shakespeare’s most famous play; but he feels very similar to the fool. The protagonist sees he is getting older: he realizes that it is too late to act, and he regrets not having done it when he could.

The last stanza makes dramatic the poem ("we drown"), thus it is not a declaration of love, but a journey toward death. T. S. Eliot condemns the inability to act and to make decisions throughout the song.