Essay on Explication of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Explication of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Prufrock begins his â€Å"Love† song with a peculiar quote from Dante’s Divine Comedy. It reads: â€Å"If I believed that my answer were to a person who could ever return to the world, this flame would no longer quiver. But because no one ever returned from this depth, if what I hear is true, without fear of infamy, I answer you.† In the Divine Comedy these lines are spoken by a damned soul who had sought absolution before committing a crime. I think that Eliot chose this quote to show that Prufrock is also looking for absolution, but for what he is unsure. â€Å"Let us go then, you and I, (1).† We are being offered an invitation into Prufrock’s world. As you read on you see†¦show more content†¦I don’t think Prufrock is paying the gossip any attention. The gossip just â€Å"rubs its back upon the window panes.† (15). The gossip doesn’t seem to affect him, he walks through it and it tries to tempt him, but is unsuccessful, and as the evening wares on the people at the party shake off the gossip. â€Å"Let fall upon it’s back the soot that falls from chimneys.† (19). Just when you think that the coast is clear, the gossip is gone, it shows up again and decides to stay for the night. This only adds to Prufrock’s feeling of isolation and hopelessness. His unwillingness to take part in the gossip surrounding him has made him an oddity. â€Å"And indeed there will be time† (23). Prufrock is musing about all the time there will be for gossip later. Again the yellow smoke slides down the street, tempting Prufrock to give in. With the gossip goes the gossipers and as they arrive back at their homes you see the yellow smoke of gossip â€Å"Rubbing its back upon the window-panes† (25). Now, Prufrock has time to think about what he has to do. In the poem he seems to be in a dream-like state. He is wondering, the rhythm in lines 26-34 gives me the impression that he is pacing the floor. He is preparing to meet someone, a woman, and he is conflicted about how to tell her what he must tell her. Prufrock feels overwhelmed by what he must do, and yet he is trying his best to focus on the task at hand. Just asShow MoreRelatedExplication of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay958 Words   |  4 PagesExplication of Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock In T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, the author is establishing the trouble the narrator is having dealing with middle age. Prufrock(the narrator) believes that age is a burden and is deeply troubled by it.. His love of some women cannot be because he feels the prime of his life is over. His preoccupation with the passing of time characterizes the fear of aging he has. The poem deals with the aging and fears associated with it ofRead More Explication of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock920 Words   |  4 PagesExplication of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock In T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, the author is establishing the trouble the narrator is having dealing with middle age. Prufrock(the narrator) believes that age is a burden and is deeply troubled by it.. His love of some women cannot be because he feels the prime of his life is over. His preoccupation with the passing of time characterizes the fear of aging he has. The poem deals with the aging and fearsRead MoreBusiness and Management2600 Words   |  11 Pages | | | |The Reader as Writer: Developing a Thesis, Drafting, and Writing an Argument (pp.45-63). | | | | |Reading Literature Closely: Explication (pp 101-114). | | | | |Reading and Writing about Stories (pp. 355-367). | |