T. S. Eliot's Poems, Rhapsody Of A Windy Night

Stream of consciousness was first introduced by William James in 1890; T.S Eliot uses this form of literature in his writing focusing on characters who feel alienated in Society. Most speakers in his poems feel like outcasts to the open world, overlooked by many. In the poems, “The Love Song of J Alfred Proof Rock”, “Rhapsody of a Windy Night”, and “Morning at the Window”, all analyze how the stream of consciousness conveys this sense of isolation. In the first poem, “The Love Song of J Alfred Proof Rock”, the poem depicts the speaker to be self-cautious; isolated. The speaker begins on this continuous flow of thoughts beginning with “Shall I part my hair behind, do I dare eat a peach,” He is thinking of his every move; second guessing himself in order to feel a sense of acceptance. A specific word he uses “Dare” is a very strong and powerful that is overlooked. The word proves a

The overarching theme of the poem is the detachment from others experienced through the passing of time. He centralizes the theme by a stream of consciousness which makes the speaker feel detached from others. A line that strongly supports that claim is, “Every street lamp that I pass beats like a fatalistic drum,” A very depressing line. Using a word such as “fatalistic” sets the theme straightforward. Another line similar to the theme of lonesomeness is when the speaker says, “and through the spaces of the dark, Midnight shakes the memory.” This line shows how the speaker is up very late at night thinking, going over his every thought. For someone who is up that late picking apart every thought in their brain is a clear representation of someone who feels this common theme of loneliness; not talking to anyone but themselves. The poem written by Eliot gives a tone of isolation, doing that directly through a stream of