Analysis Of The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock By T.s. Eliot
The Love Song tells the story of a man’s conscious mind. Eliot shows Prufrock struggling to find the courage to propose love, because he is afraid of being rejected. He is shown as a pessimistic character who believes that he will be rejected by the lady even if he proposes to her. Eliot begins the poem as a drift, but later shows that Prufrock is the one who is being guided to the answer. Prufrock appears to spend a great deal of time thinking about his dilemma, until he worries that he’s taking too much time. Eliot uses this technique to show the reader Prufrock’s nervous and panicked behavior. Eliot’s work is formatted to reveal Prufrock’s dilemma and mindset as the poem advances. He wants him to realize that the real problem he faces is himself. Prufrock recognizes that it is his self-doubt and not the fear or rejection which has him stuck in a rut.
Eliot emphasizes Pruffrock’s indecision by infrared tears and prayer. Weeping over a matter means it is very important. The fact that he does so shows the desire the persona holds for beauty. However, he is reluctant to express his feelings to the lady as he is afraid of being rejected. Eliot asks Prufrock to seek divine intervention. This highlights Prufrock’s problem to the readers because most prayers only deal with forgiveness and importance. Eliot uses the idea of Prufrock being in a dilemma to emphasize how important it is. The phrase “Though my head was brought on a tray” can be found in the poem. Eliot compares Pruffock to John the Baptist in the bible who was also beheaded. This line is related with Prufrock’s reference to fasting and prayer. Prufrock thinks that even if he prays in the same manner as John the Baptist, he will lose despite asking for help from Jesus. Eliot created a paradox within a paradox by making Prufrock seek religious advice, and then having him question his faith. Pruffrock is being shown to be a chaotic thinker by this. Eliot uses the phrase “eternal footman”. This shows that Prufrock is accepting his mortality. He seems to think that it will not end anytime soon. Eliot uses the words “eternal footman” to show that Prufrock has accepted his mortality and believes it will not end soon. He finishes the stanza with a statement that he had been afraid to decide and blames his mortality. By being an eternal footman, this fear will continue. Eliot ended the stanza in a way that implies Prufrock’s dilemma is not going to be resolved.
Eliot then asks Prufrock in the next paragraph if it’s worth staying with him. He is trying to decide which is worse, the pain from rejection or the inability to ask for what you want. Prufrock is told to pretend to be happy by Eliot, who has Prufrock bite off the entire thing and smile while doing so. The phrase “To roll the universe towards some overwhelming query” implies that his entire life seems to be centered around asking for love. Eliot made Prufrock’s problem the most important thing in his life. Eliot then removed it from the present, and he has no life purpose. In the following line, he compares his life to that of Lazarus in the Bible who died and then came back from the dead. He tells those living what it feels like to die. Eliot is using this infernace for rejection. This will help the reader to understand Pruffrock’s feeling when he approaches her and gets rejected. Rejection is the same as dying. Eliot uses Prufrock’s indecision in order to protect him against being hurt. However, he is saddened to be in this situation. Eliot does this to show that Prufrock tends to overthink situations. Eliot focuses on Prufrock’s insecurities. Prufrock is never able to express his feelings because he has to deal with a stressful situation. Eliot depicts Prufrock as a character who is destined to be rejected and has a fixed mind.
Eliot uses his time to explore Pruffrock’s thoughts during his dilemma. The line, “Do, I dare, eat the peach?” indicates that Prufrock’s desire for the beauty has changed. He has accepted its predestination and has given up on it. Eliot shows how Pruffrock’s life has changed over the years because he was never able to face up to his dilemma about talking to her. Eliot makes him look like a victim who questions everything. Eliot evokes the memory of Pruffrock’s love for mermaids through his singing. Mermaids have a mythical origin, they are half-human, half-fish, and both beautiful, as well as evil. Eliot wants Prufrock imagine this woman to show his reader that Prufrock has a dualistic view of women. This image, however, is false because it is based on a mythical creature. “I don’t believe that they will sing to you” Prufrock accepts the reality of his life. He is not going to be able to hear songs from mermaids that sound like women. Eliot says “we” at the end of the paragraph, referring back to “you & I” in the beginning. When “we” is compared to “you and me”, it becomes obvious that “we” is referring only to Prufrock. The journey was one into his head and the phrase “we lingered in chamber of the Sea” indicates that his thoughts have been lingering for a very long time. Eliot wants him to drown out those memories, as indicated in the last line. The memories do not come alive “until human voice” is heard, meaning that they won’t be remembered until Prufrock wakes them up.
Eliot blames Prufrock’s lack of ability to make decisions on the external forces that he believes design every person’s life. The belief in predestination is portrayed as the thought that relieves Prufrock’s pain for not asking for what he wants. Eliot uses predestination as a comfort to make Prufrock feel guilty for his failure. He says later that it is foolish and ridiculous. As the poem progresses, Eliot solves the dilemma in his mind to have him break. To achieve this, he has Prufrock compare his greatest mistake with other people whom he feels are better. It makes him feel inferior and causes him to have many mental barriers that limit him. He begins to believe that the path of his life was predetermined. Eliot’s poem ends with Prufrock being a lonely loner, broken by his decisions. Prufrock walks alone along the beach and only sees how much better his life could be with company.
