The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock Essay

Poems are often difficult to understand. They are written in an indirect way, but this allows authors to portray themes differently than in other pieces of literature. Various literary techniques display these themes, and the indirect way of stating them forces readers to use a deeper level of thought. T.S. Eliot, for instance, expresses a human tendency in his poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” By using personification, symbolism, and allusions, he displays the tendency of individuals to worry about what others will think about them, their thoughts, and their actions. This results in individuals cowering from their desire to talk to someone or present an idea.

First of all, personification found throughout “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” displays the main theme. For instance, the narrator states that “the magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen” (line 105). A lantern obviously cannot throw anything, but this use of personification brings the reader’s attention to one of the reasons J. Alfred Prufrock will not complete an important action: his

Alfred Prufrock” to reveal a common human imperfection. For instance, the narrator describes himself as a crab when he states that he should have been “scuttling across the floors of silent seas” (line 73). This symbolizes his shyness. J. Alfred Prufrock is afraid of rejection, which causes him to refrain from conversations with women. Because he has been criticized for his skinny arms and bald head, his confidence has been crushed. As a result, he has become akin to a crab keeping to himself. Individuals in today’s society struggle with the same situation. Bullying causes a lack of confidence and shyness. With this said, an individual still has the ability to reach out and improve their situation by creating relationships. Prufrock displays the negative aspect of accepting his life as it is when he dies