Give a critical appreciation of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.

Write a character-sketch of J. Alfred Prufrock.

Discuss The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock as a monologue of moral cowardice and symbolism.

Ans:

Introduction

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was published in 1917 and it is one of the best known poems of Eliot. It depicts Eliot’s love of tradition. The hero of the poem is completely unheroic and belongs to a cultured society living in London, Boston or anywhere. The title of the poem is ironic. It does not narrate any love-song rather it is an expression of moral cowardice and hollowness of the society in twentieth century. Readers think that it should be some love-story but the speaker of the poem is entirely a bundle of hesitations and indecisions. He is neurotic one, who has no courage to talk with his beloved on the subject of marriage. Thus, in his middle-age the speaker contemplates to offer for marriage to his beloved, and invents many ways to confess his vital question but could not due to his triviality and emptiness.

A Monologue

In the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock the speaker of the poem begins abruptly to visit to some suitable hotel or salon with his beloved so that he may tell his overwhelming question’ before her. It is not clear in the poem whether the speaker and his beloved really conversed or travelled, or it is an interior monologue of the speaker. It starts in Donne’s style.

The poem expresses complete inner-self of the speaker. He contemplates about the surrounding atmosphere and methods to ask his question but soon all ways betray him on account of his inactivity and inferiority complex. It is a debate of thoughts of a single person. It highlights the neurotic nature and moral cowardice of the speaker. In this way Eliot could express the spiritual degeneracy of the contemporary age.

A Symbolic Poem

The poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock begins in the foggy October evening which is like a “patient etherized.” It means Prufrock is conscious but unconscious of nothing. He seems tired, asleep or malingering. Situation of the streets, restaurants, foggy evening and sleeping cat shows different situations of Prufrock’s character. He is undecided, helpless, neurotic and bears no courage to act. Throughout the poem style from the French symbolists has been entertained in the poem. It is a combination o grand and prosaic, the material and spiritual and mixed metaphors. Prufrock describes his own person as a cat, an insect, animal, insidious streets, Lazarus. John: the Baptist and Hamlet. With each comparison he elevates a new image and impression of different personality. Eyes of females are like X-ray machines. He withdraws his each manner of prosecting his offer because he does not want that anybody or his beloved should ask him anything in return.

Physical Decay

Prufrock, the speaker of the poem knows all ladies present in the salon because he has had intimate relations with these ladies. Perhaps it happened in his youth. Now, he is fearful lest the ladies should deride him because his hands and legs are thin. His hair is growing thin. His upper part of head is bald and he is unsuitable for married life due to his middle-age. Thus he decides to ask his question after taking tea, eating toast. cake, ice pudding or marmalade because these things will give him energy. The poet wants to say that the speaker will put on fashionable clothes and will walk on the shores of the ocean to show himself energetic and sportive. After all he could not dare to put up his vital question which seems to him as epoch making and the very disturbing of the universe. He has no hurry, for there is time for revisions and he is conscious of his “hair growing thin.”

Prufrock: Neurotic and Cowardice

The Love Song of J. Alfred Fm frock is a fair description of Prufrock’s neurotic and coward tendency. He continues to hesitate, and does not know what to do. He is unable to analyze his own sch. He knows everything at one moment and the next moment he seems ignorant of everything due to his cowardice. He descends to put up his question but the perfume coming to his nostrils digress him to his adventurous task. He is nervous of facing the magic lantern of the eyes of females who will examine his nerves. His repetition of lines shows his hesitancy and indecision. He belongs to a refined society, attended too much parties, put on his best attire yet he is trivial and confesses: “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” These parties bear little sense. He recognizes the “falling tone” of music coming from the salon but he cannot put up his question. He is an insect wriggling a the point of pin and butt-end of cigarette.

Fear of Rejection and Death

Prufrock is undecided after all his debate. He thinks if it would be worthwhile after taking tea or light chat on the tea-table to take a decision, to approach his lady and narrate the question in Lazarus-manner. He has fear of rejection and needs Herculean strength to squeeze the universe into a ball. He cannot tolerate the agony of mental burden. His beloved would certainly say that he misunderstood her civility. He continuous his self-analysis. He has ‘wept, prayed and fasted to have the strength for this critical moment. AU his efforts fail to give him enough courage. He is fearful, as if his head would be cut like that of John, the Baptist. He is not a prophet. He could not dare to ask his question for the fear of death which seems awaiting him every moment. His all determinations vanish on account of the fear of death, and he could not ask his question.