PAPER

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S Elliot can effortlessly be one of the most complex poems in history. The authors rhyming and choice of words can be puzzling but yet brilliant causing you to wonder about the true meaning of this so called “love song”. The poem embarks on a journey about a middle age man, J. Alfred Prufrock, who is looking for a change in his seemingly dull life. He recognizes his insecurities and the things that hold him back from truly being free but there’s something he doesn’t quite know. That is what he actually wants and desires in life. This question he asks himself also has the readers wanting to know, what exactly does Prufrock want?

Before getting into the question, there are two narrative styles in the poem that helps understand and get into the mind of Prufrock. One style is dramatic monologue. A dramatic monologue shows a time where the narrator or speaker confers a topic and shares private feelings to the listener. Only the speaker talks, which ties back into the meaning monologue, “Mono” meaning single and “logue” meaning speech. During his dialog, the speaker deliberately and unconsciously reveals things about himself. The primary emphasis in the dramatic monologue is this personal information.

The second narrative style is the Stream of consciousness. Stream of consciousness is the constant flow of thoughts and feelings through somebody's mind. The poem captures this by centering in on the thoughts and feelings of Prufrock. For instance, in the poem he is on his way to meet a woman for tea and is thinking of the question he is going to ask her. Nevertheless, no one seems to show up or meet in this poem. Instead, it reveals the core and rather disordered thought process of J. Alfred P...

... middle of paper ...

...s" seem to symbolize his desire for an interaction with women. The mention of the girls shows Prufrock's ease with them in this imaginary scenario. Prufrocks makes a connection between "human voices" and drowning which further illuminate his feeling of being inferior to society. Prufrock's happiness in another world, un-judged and secure, is then destroyed as he brings the human voice into the poem.

Overall, “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock” is multifaceted and can be misunderstood by the author’s choice of words and writing techniques. This complexity is what makes the poem unique and bursting with meaning. It captures an average middle age man who hasn’t found his identity and place in the world. It shows loneliness and the tedious life of someone who hasn’t happiness and true love. And that is exactly what J.Alfred Prufrock was missing- love and companionship.