analysis
A critical analysis of T.S. Elliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is about a man who is so insecure about his physical appearance that he chooses to live out the rest of his life as a single man alone rather than pursue his love interests. In the process of his decision he develops a split personality to help him deal with his dilemma. The poem itself takes on a dream like state while Alfred takes the reader on a lyrical ride that eventually ends in his decision to grow old by himself rather than take a chance to be rejected. The first few lines of the poem invoke a feeling of surrealism as if to distort time and space. Like a patient etherized upon a table;This line generates a feeling of haziness as being etherized you are not fully in control of all your senses. The constant reference to "yellow fog" serves as two purposes. The first is to reinforce the feeling of being in a dream. The color of the fog being yellow symbolizes his cowardice. So instead of approaching women and letting his feelings be know, he says to himself "there will be time" providing himself with a excuse for his lack of confidence. Alfred's actions and thoughts show th
The footman snickering represents the feeling of unwantedness. I am not Prince Hamlet, nor meant to be;Just an attempt to make himself feel better by stating that he does not poses the qualities of a prince. Prufrock's fears and hypersensitivity to his physical appearance explain the reason for his shyness. Till human voices wake us, and we drown. I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And I have seen the eternal footman hold my coat, and snicker, And in short, I was afraid. His chance of acceptance can be compared to the flame of a candle flickering in the wind. This feeds his fears causing him to abandon his love interest before even trying. This supposed greatness is the acceptance of the women at the tea party. His fear of rejection shines brightly here. Prufrock's views of himself cause him to retreat into a fantasy world of "mermaids singing" in which he is accepted and will so be accepted till the end of his days. As pointed out by Brooks and Penn, Prufrock believes the women to be shallow which is ironic because he himself displays shallowness by allowing his insecurities to overpower him. Alfred obviously has a complex about his age and his physical appearance. He then begins to justify his decision by comparing himself to Hamlet.
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Acceptance Essays
