The Lovesong Of J Alfred Prufrock Analysis

Several decades later, a modernist writer, T.S. Eliot, conveys a similar message through his diction and use of imagery in his poetry. In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, Prufrock demonstrates a lack of connections with nature, people, and God. These broken relations cause him to be unhappy, lonely, and a major procrastinator in life. Prufrock lives in a filthy urban city with “yellow smoke” (16) replacing air. Yellow fog or smoke refers to high sulfur content which pertains to Hellish imagery within the poem. Eliot uses this Hellish imagery to reflect Prufrock’s mind and life. His mind is clouded with yellow smoke and fog because he cannot make the judgement to ask a question. And the longer he procrastinates, the lonelier he finds himself.

In addition, his weak relationships with people lead Prufrock to being unhappy and dissatisfied in life. Eliot makes it apparent that Prufrock does not do anything significant with his life. Although he goes to many parties, he does not socialize very much with the people around him and rationalizes that he already knows everything about them:
For I have known them all already, known them all
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; (49-51)
His complacence in knowing everything about the people around him is evident through Eliot’s use of assonance, “all already” and in the fact that he repeats the word “all” to show how Prufrock feels very sure that he thoroughly knows about the people at these parties. The long ‘a’ sounds also help to illustrate how jaded Prufrock feels because he is not enthusiastic about knowing these people, since the sounds slow down the pace of the stanza. Moreover, the point that Prufrock knows everything about these individuals without having a decent conversation with them confirms that their society runs on gossip and rumours. It is also odd how

It is visible how Prufrock equates himself to a prophet by comparing himself to John the Baptist, but then, Prufrock begins to reveal his self-consciousness and insecurity through his values. He only cares about his exterior and how people perceive him. When alluding to his head being “brought in upon a platter” he is worrisome of the fact that it is balding. Selfishness and insecurity is a sign of lacking faith in God. Prufrock is upset because his life only “flickers” in sight which symbolizes that it has such little significance so, he feels like a failure. He wastes his time at social gatherings that do not reward him. Prufrock sees the “eternal Footman”, symbolizing death, hold his coat and snicker. Eliot’s use of the word “snicker” illustrates that Prufrock feels like his life is a joke and that it has no value. He cannot progress in life, and now he is afraid because he loses the opportunity to feel accomplished. Prufrock is afraid of death as well as many other things which keep him from daring to do anything out of the ordinary. This fear also keeps him from placing faith in God, which results in his feelings of loneliness and emptiness, in addition to his broken connections with nature and