Prufrock even metaphorically dies at the end of the poem, corresponding to the idea of not returning alive from The Inferno; Prufrock’s elaborate, day-dreamed world dies when someone interrupts him at the end of the poem and he drowns.

Is Prufrock dead?

The stanza ends, however, with “That is not what I meant at all; That is not it, at all”- Prufrock out-maneuvers himself once again. Unlike Lazarus, he won’t return with stories to tell. Leaving his mental universe does not mean coming back to life, it means dying; at the end of Prufrock he drowns.

Does Prufrock drown?

In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T. S. Eliot reveals the silent insecurity of a man, for whom the passing of time indicates the loss of virility and confidence.

What happens Prufrock?

It is an examination of the tortured psyche of the prototypical modern man—overeducated, eloquent, neurotic, and emotionally stilted. Prufrock, the poem’s speaker, seems to be addressing a potential lover, with whom he would like to “force the moment to its crisis” by somehow consummating their relationship.

What does Prufrock talk about at the end of the poem?

Towards the end of the poem, Prufrock talks of mermaids singing to each other. He includes “I do not think that they will sing to me” (line 125).

How old is J Alfred Prufrock?

Eliot began writing “Prufrock” in February 1910, and it was first published in the June 1915 issue of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse at the instigation of Ezra Pound (1885–1972). It was later printed as part of a twelve-poem pamphlet (or chapbook) titled Prufrock and Other Observations in 1917.

Why does Prufrock fear to descend the stair?

The stair is the ultimate representation of Prufrock’s indecision. He only has to “turn back and descend the stair”, to make the decision to talk to the woman he admires from afar and daydreams of talking to.

Who is you and I in the first line of Prufrock?

But since no one has ever returned alive from this depth, if what I hear is true, without fear of infamy I respond to you.” Line 1: The identity of “you and I” shifts throughout the poem. Here Prufrock seems to be alone and talking to himself. Later the “you” is the woman he wants to seduce, possibly propose to.

What does Till human voices wake us and we drown meaning?

In the poem the last line says,“Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”(131) The image of Prufrock being woken, and then drowning gives the reader the idea that as he is woken from his dream, and back into reality, reality drowns him.

What is the overwhelming question in Prufrock?

In T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” I believe Prufrock’s overwhelming question is a marriage proposal because of the severity of his indecisiveness and inner debate of whether or not to ask it.

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Who is the eternal footman in Prufrock?

Death is sometimes referred to as “the eternal footman.” Here Prufrock is alluding to his own fears about mortality. His sense that Death “snickers” at him relates again to his own feelings of unimportance; he does not consider himself truly “great,” being neither a prophet (or as he later says) a prince.

What do the mermaids represent to Prufrock?

Prufrock sees the mermaid, a symbol for all of woman, as epitomizing female perfection and always in the distance, out of his reach. The last line of the poem suggests that in his personal isolation, Prufrock will “drown” (130), as the mermaids, or woman, will live on unaffected by his death.

What does the phrase dying fall most likely mean?

Beneath the music from a farther room. What does the phrase “dying fall” most likely mean in both excerpts? The sounds are fading.

Why is Prufrock called a love song?

“Love Song” makes a similar point, but not as directly. The title is actually the only place where Prufrock’s name is mentioned – in the poem he talks about himself in the first person. … The title of the poem is only pretending to be serious, while the poem itself is more like a “fake love song.”

When the evening is spread out against the sky like a patient etherized upon a table meaning?

The imagery of this invitation begins with a startling simile, “Let us go then you and I/ When the evening is spread out against the sky/ Like a patient etherised upon a table.” … Furthermore, the imagery of the “etherised patient” denotes a person waiting for treatment.

What is Prufrock's main dilemma in the poem quizlet?

Alfred Prufrock”, but Prufrock’s problem is finding love and talking to the women.

What are the three questions that Prufrock asks himself?

These include “Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?” and “Is it perfume from a dress that makes me so digress?” These questions serve mainly to enhance the characterization of Prufrock as an insecure man who doesn’t feel comfortable in his own skin.

Why is Prufrock insecure?

Alfred Prufrock is afraid of being socially shunned by the women because of his aging and lack of ability to communicate efficiently. Eliot states, “Time to turn back and descend the stair, With a bald spot in the middle of my hair- (They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!)”(667), showing Purfrock’s insecurities.

What does I am Lazarus come from the dead mean?

Lazarus is a figure in the Bible who came back from the dead [2]. This relates to Prufrock as he feels dead. The feeling of being lifeless makes him question if being lively and vigorous is worth it.

Is Prufrock real?

Alfred Prufrock, fictional character, the indecisive middle-aged man in whose voice Anglo-American poet T.S. Eliot wrote the dramatic monologue “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (1917).

Who is Prufrock talking to?

But “Prufrock” is a “dramatic” monologue because the person talking is a fictional creation, and his intended audience is fictional as well. He is talking to the woman he loves, about whom we know very little except for the stray detail about shawls and hairy arms.

What is the meaning of Prufrock?

Taken together they characterize Prufrock as someone who is prudish and somewhat womanly: a timid, fussy old maidish character. The name arguably plays on unflattering stereotypes about women that existed in the pre-World War I period in which Eliot wrote the poem.

What does Prufrock hope to hear while walking along the beach?

In Eliot’s “Love Song,” what does Prufrock hope to hear while walking along the beach? Talking of Michelangelo.“

How should I presume meaning?

1 : to undertake without leave or clear justification : dare. 2 : to expect or assume especially with confidence. 3 : to suppose to be true without proof presumed innocent until proved guilty. 4 : to take for granted : imply.

Why is Michelangelo a repeated focus in the poem?

The line “In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michaelangelo” is repeated several times within the text of the poem. This repetition acknowledges the importance of the phrase. As well as establishing one of the most important locations in the poem, it also reveals clues as to how Prufrock regards himself.

Why Is The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock considered a masterpiece in Modernism?

T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock carries the characteristics of modernist poetry such as objective correlative, fragmentation, free verse and irregular rhyming. … Hence, the title of the poem is ironic since Prufrock never talks about his feelings of love throughout the poem.

Why does Prufrock feel the need to confess?

Rather, focusing on similar issues to the post-World War II existentialists, he confesses to the crime of living a life without passion and without risk. Prufrock clearly considers his crimes to be such that he is the scum of the earth, one of Dante’s damned souls confessing from the depths of hell.

What is the most salient aspect of Prufrock's physical appearance mentioned three times?

The Aspect of Prufrock’s physical appearance that is mentioned at least 3 times is his baldness. What does Prufrock wonder if he should dare eat?

What does yellow fog symbolize?

In an article published in The Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, John Hakac argues that the yellow fog in the first section of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a symbol for love itself, and therefore a significant driving force of the poem.

Why is the speaker afraid of the eternal Footman?

Alfred Prufrock,” why is the speaker afraid of “the eternal Footman” who is holding his coat? The eternal Footman is a former friend. The eternal Footman may be a criminal.

Should I after tea and cakes and ices meaning?

Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis? Well, some time must have passed in the poem, because “tea” is over. In line 34, he hadn’t had tea yet, but now he’s digesting all the sweet and tasty things he consumed.