Examples Of Hell In The Lovesong Of J Alfred Prufrock

In T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker, J. Alfred Prufrock, is depicted as a man trapped in his own personal hell. The evidence for this can be found throughout the poem, as Prufrock expresses feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and a sense of being trapped in his own mind.

One of the main pieces of evidence for Prufrock's personal hell is his constant self-doubt and insecurity. He is plagued by thoughts of inadequacy, as seen in lines such as, "Do I dare? / And do I dare? / And should I then presume?" (lines 71-73). Prufrock is also tormented by the idea that he is not good enough for the woman he desires, as he says, "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to me" (lines 129-130).

He is constantly questioning himself and his actions, and he is unable to escape his own thoughts. He says, "I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; / Am an attendant lord, one that will do / To swell a progress, start a scene or two" (lines 65-67). This suggests that Prufrock feels that he is not living up to his full potential, and that he is trapped in a role that he did not choose for