The poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot is one of the most prominent examples of 20th-century postmodern poetry. Most significantly within the framework of the analysis of this work is what means the author used to convey the meaning. In particular, the reader may notice that Eliot uses structure, rhyme, tone, symbols, and metaphors as primary tools to convey the meaning. Thus, the words and expressions themselves are secondary in consideration of this work and support other means. In this situation, critical sources are an extremely useful source of information since when reading it, important aspects that affect the shades of meanings are not always obvious. Secondary sources allow the reader to analyze the poem with greater depth, as well as open up previously inaccessible perspectives.
The Initial Discussion of the Poem
The poem is virtually devoid of regular rhythm, reflecting the tension that the author has tried to illustrate. However, some fragments still have a clear structure and rhythm. For example, in lines 39 through 44, Eliot rhymes stair/hair and thin/chin/pin, which gives the narrative an accelerated tone (Eliot). This technique helps to achieve a certain comic effect or to show the character’s rarefaction, as it practically parades the words of other people. Thus, Eliot uses rhythm as one of the most powerful means of conveying emotion in his poem. The combination of complex and simple rhymes and sometimes their complete absence shows the neurotic nature and irritation of the main character. His thoughts are uneven; he is worried and cannot structure them, which results in a certain stream of consciousness.
The character of the poem constantly changes the subject of his conversation, which is manifested in the fragmentation that Eliot uses. The poem has irregular chunks that can contain from 2 to 12 lines. This technique also emphasizes the character’s nervousness, his inability to concentrate on a particular idea. It is noteworthy that the reader can see twice the phrase “In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo” (Eliot). Such a reference to the location, as it were, interrupts the character’s reasoning, returning him to reality. This technique becomes clearer when the reader reaches the end of the poem by reading, “Till human voices wake us” (Eliot). Eliot uses fragmentation to emphasize that the character is in dialogue with himself in his thoughts. At the same time, there is an external environment that does not allow him to be interrupted and periodically distracts him.
Eliot also uses several references in the poem to the personalities with which the main character associates himself. In particular, he compares himself to Lazar or Hamlet in a rather negative way (Eliot). He admits that he does not possess outstanding qualities and does not even regret it. In comparison with other personalities, the character of the poem regrets himself and complains about the lack of necessary qualities in himself. In this case, Eliot emphasizes the lack of a certain personality strength in character. Instead, the character complains that possession of a magic lantern would be an option for him (Eliot). He claims that this item would help him “throw the nerves in patterns on a screen” (Eliot). Thus, Eliot emphasizes the character’s inability to express his emotions and, moreover, his unwillingness to really cope with this problem. The character relies more on unrealistic solutions and abstractions than on the possibility of changing his behavior.
The character’s fascination with fictional objects, rather than the real world, is also manifested at the end of the poem. The character describes how he hears the singing of mermaids while standing on the seashore (Eliot). He would not mind staying underwater with them rather than returning to the real world on land. At the same time, he notes, “I do not think that they will sing to me” (Eliot). Eliot emphasizes that despite his passion, the character is aware of the inaccessibility of these fantasies. He understands that reality does not bring joy to him, but even the fictional world cannot bring any satisfaction. Thus, the character talks about the actions that he would like to perform, but exclusively on a hypothetical basis. It seems to belong to an imaginary world in which there is no place for reality.
Summaries
Researchers are still paying considerable attention to analyzing this work as a multifaceted example of poetic art. Liu, in the article “The Dilemma Monologue in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” explores how Eliot reveals the character through specific expressions. In particular, the author of the article examines how the poet describes the characters’ concerns and perceptions of the real and ideal world. First of all, Liu looks at how the author addresses the issues of masculinity and libido. Most notably, the article explores various non-obvious symbols that helped Eliot construct a distinctive meaning. For example, Liu notes that “Prufrock’s baldness was a sign of his diminished sexual performance and deficiency of his masculinity” (3). Additionally, repeated references to women allow the reader to identify the character’s depressed position in the women’s society.
Further, the article also analyzes aspects that can tell more about the idealized imaginary world to which the character gravitates. Especially noteworthy is the way the author considers the differences in the description of the real and the imaginary world. In particular, Liu notes that “Prufrock was influenced by the atmosphere and condition of the city” (7). The author also points out that the character refers to the external environment by characterizing him as yellow, which is associated with timidity in Western culture (Liu 7). In this way, Eliot, through color identification, also shows how much the outside world suppresses the character. Compared to his idealized imagined reality, he experiences stress and an inability to express himself. Overall, the article explores a variety of individual symbols and expressions that allow for a deeper look at the experience and dilemma of the character.
Another article takes a more systematic and methodologically rigorous approach to analyze the metaphors presented in the poem. Brown, in the article “A Metaphorical Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot,” develops a typology of the metaphors presented in the work. Based on the developed typology and the subsequent analysis of the metaphors presented in it, the author comes to the conclusion that the poem contains “ample evidence of complex accounting imagery” (Brown 12). In this situation, such insight can reveal both the personality of the character and give a deeper meaning to the real world around him. While the author addresses the study of metaphors solely as potential support for the interpretation of accounting texts, this information may be useful for examining the meanings that Eliot sought to convey.
The article provides many examples of how the poem appeals to accounting terms and concepts within the modern city. For example, the question that the character asks not to be asked at the beginning of the poem and voices it later, according to the author, generally describes the world of accounting. In particular, he notes that this passage that “accountants’ perceptions of reality are highly constructed, constrained, underdeveloped and, above all, hesitant” (Brown 6). These assumptions may sound surprising and completely unclear when analyzing this poem. However, within the framework of taking the work in a broader context, this article provides important tools for conceptual analysis of the poem.
Secondary Sources Implication
Critical materials provide a deeper insight into how expressive instruments and poetic techniques construct the meaning of a poem. In particular, when analyzing Eliot’s work, it is extremely difficult to identify all possible metaphors or symbols easily. However, they have the important function of adding and revealing shades of meaning. While these aspects, in general, do not fundamentally affect the perception of the overall meaning of the poem, they add new perspectives. Even considering the poem from an accounting perspective, one can come up with interesting ideas about the contrast between the hero’s fantasy world and his actual life in a capitalist society. This connotation of meaning is not obvious and can only be viewed through secondary sources that provide such unexpected analysis.
The critical articles did not fundamentally alter my perception of the poem but allowed me to look at the character and his surroundings from a different angle. In particular, I was able to look at details that were not significant to me before, such as the role of the city environment. Moreover, I was able to identify more characters that were previously inaccessible to me. In general, secondary sources allowed me to explore in more detail what techniques Eliot used to convey meaning. I do not think that the authors of the reviewed articles have overlooked any significant aspects. This is probably due to the rather narrow focus of their research, which is more aimed at revealing more shades of meanings than actual critique.
The article by Liu certainly addresses fairly common concerns and themes about the poem. In particular, the author turns to the symbolism presented in the poem. At the same time, the article offers an atypical approach to such research, focusing directly on revealing the inner essence of the character. Thus, despite the common aim, the author chose a fairly targeted research area. Brown’s article, on the other hand, is somewhat surprising since it assumes a literary, poetic text for the interpretation of accounting literature. In this situation, the approach that the author has chosen is extremely scientifically sound and correlates with his goals. While this article may not be as useful as the previous one for a more general analysis of the poem, it opens up unexpected perspectives for interpretation. Common critical concerns of the poem are the exploration of metaphors and symbols to convey the feelings and emotions of the main character. In this regard, I would also like to note that Liu rather focused on considering the premises of these experiences, which may also be atypical in the analysis.
Works Cited
Brown, Alistair. “A Metaphorical Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot.” Accounting Forum, vol. 42, no. 1, 2018, pp. 153-165.
Eliot, T. S. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Poetry Foundation, 1963, Web.
Liu, Songmeng. “The Dilemma Monologue in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Open Access Library Journal, vol. 8, 2021, pp. 1-8.