Prufrock in the poem The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay -- T.S.

Question Who is Prufrock? The modern propensity for excessive introspection prevents people from living full, active lives. Is this true of Prufrock? Refer to examples from the poem to support your opinion. Answer It is obvious that the excessive and obsessive reflection of self that Prufrock undergoes in the poem, "The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" written by T.S. Eliot, prevents him from living to his true potential, and this is shown through the poet?s language and his use of poetic devices. ?The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock? has some immaculate imagery. T.S. Eliot uses figurative diction to create almost cinematic images in the readers mind, almost like a memory of their own. The imagery creates an incredible mood and atmosphere, and this evokes appropriately vivid feelings and emotions that all the same, feel eerily familiar and appeal to the senses of the reader. This is the case as the reader can relate to the personal feelings of Prufrock. Yet, the individual images, I consider are not the guiding force or theme of the poem. The constant and central theme of the poem is the dismissive tone of the self-cynical persona, Prufrock. I personally believe that the poem, ?The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock? contains T.S. Eliot?s perception on modern man, or in other words, the monotony and sordidness of the human condition. I believe he attempts to break the conventional modes of perception of the typical individual which perpetually takes new forms, and makes the reader see the world afresh from a new perspective. He does this by making us aware and engaging us in deeper feelings that we rarely penetrate. Eliot personally feels that modern man has an exiguous view on the quality of life and the truly impo... ...of Prufrock's propensity to move backwards and downwards is suggestive of his nearness to death, and his backpedaling down into Hell. Prufrock himself as stated earlier sees "the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,? while he says in the next line "in short, I was afraid." The point of past tense is also worth noting. With these phrases the audience has to feel pity towards Prufrock and it is through emotions that Eliot makes his point and perception realised in the readers? eyes. In conclusion, as Eliot seemed to think that the modern propensity for excessive introspection prevents people from living full, active lives, Eliot created the story of Prufrock. Through his persona, T.S. Eliot engages his readers with an assortment of emotions. These emotions were successful in allowing Eliot to see his perception of superficial people seen in his reader's eyes.