TS Eliot Notes of poems

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TS Eliot: The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Summary:

Poem explores mind of modern man and the emotional struggles he faces.

The persona developed by Eliot tries to address a potential lover - hoping to consummate their relationship

Prufrock has lack of confidence and doesn't dare to approach woman

Throughout the poem, his inadequacies are constantly highlighted and as result of the persona, is critical of himself and constantly daydreams about having interactions with her.

Eliot begins his poem with a series of concrete images, symbolising emotional isolation from the rest of the world.

He realises second nature and cannot compare himself to Hamlet.

Form:

"Prufrock" is a variation of the dramatic monologue form.

Three things characterises this:

They are utterances of a specific indivdual at a specific moment in time

Monologue is specifically directed at the listener or listeners whose presence is not directly referenced within the poem, but is suggested in the speaker's words

Thirdly the primary focus the development nd revelation of the speaker's character.

Eliot modernises this by developing a character whom is isolated from reality and removes implied listeners.

Poem is about a man and the inner workings of his mind.

Epigraph = highlight Prufrock's ideal listener: Someone who is lost as the speaker and won't ever betray the world Prufrock's present confesses

Prufrock later comes to realises of no listener being present and him being content with the silent reflection.

Rhyming scheme is intentional. It is irregular, yet has utilised a wide range of poetic forms.

Eliot makes practical use of the stopping of Prufrock's ctinual return to "Women who come and go / talking of Michelangelo" and his recurring "how should I presume?" assist Eliot in describing the consciousness of a modern, neurotic individual.

Prufrock's obsessiveness = compulsiveness, isolation

Three line stanzas rhymes as the conclusion of a Petrachan sonnet does, but is pessimistic in tone and anti-romantic.

Highlights the sadness felt by Prufrock when he states "I do not think they would sing to me" creating contrast of comments bitterly on the bleakness of modernity.

EXTRA NOTES:

"Prufrock" is strongly influenced by French Symbolists, like Mallarme, Rimbaud and Baudelaire. Eliot read alot of their works in lead to his early writing.

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