Analysis Of The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock

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“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
In modernism, fragmentation, open form, and themes of hopelessness take priority over the fixed form and meter of the previous era. It is about bold strokes and individuals whose writing style encompassed the changing world. T. S. Eliot is no exception. With his 1915 poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, he uses new modernist ideals as an expression of the pessimistic feelings of society and a shift away from traditional writings. With a variety of literary techniques, Eliot effectively creates a twenty-stanza poem that embodies the modernist sentiments.
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is written in a very irregular pattern. There is no consistent rhyme scheme, with some rhymes lasting a whole
This imagery compares to T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land” where we are given an even deeper look into the emptiness of the modern world. The loneliness of the city could reflect Prufrock’s feelings of not having a woman and his unwillingness to act on his
This allusion shows his inferiority and this is where his back and forth on declaring his love comes to an end. Prufrock then proceeds to repeat “I grow old” saying that he is has run out of time to find love and that “[he does] not think that [the mermaids] will sing to [him]” or that the young women will want him. So instead of facing his fear and anxiety he gives up to a “dream like world.”
A final note on “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is its fragmentation, which is a modernist theme that gives a chaotic feel. Most markedly, Prufrock’s thoughts are scattered and all over the place with repeating thoughts and jumping from one thought to another. The imagery of the streets is also very fragmented with the streets being scarce of people but knowing they are there, “restless nights” and “restaurants.” Overall, the bleakness and anxious themes of this poem comment on the modern world’s

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