Write a literary analysis on lines 100-130 from T.S. Eliot’s poem, ‘The Love Song of J.
Alfred Prufrock.’
Written in a similar form to a narrative, T.S. Eliot’s poem, ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock’ essentially exposes a fictional man’s thoughts on life in the modern world.
Classified as a “love song”, the poem undermines any sense of hopefulness or
romanticism associated with the title through its continuous deflation of hope and
expectations. As a result, the overwhelmingly pessimistic tone created by the protagonist
hints at the dismal monotony Eliot so strongly associated with the concept of modernity,
an aftereffect of the First World War and the Industrial Revolution. His apparent
discontent with the modern world is highlighted most evidently in the meticulous manner
with which he almost vivisects Prufrock’s mind, exposing it in all its vulnerability to the
outside world. In this passage, Eliot uses the voice of Prufrock to explore modern man’s
experience of the world around him, characterized as isolating, invasive and ultimately,
monotonous.
Eliot most overtly characterizes life in the modern world as an isolating experience, a
place in which even the comprehensiveness of language and communication does not
suffice. This is portrayed in line 105, “It is impossible to say what I mean!” where
Prufrock expresses his utter frustration at his inability to articulate his thoughts. The use
of the word “impossible” highlights his struggles with communication, depicting
language as futile and deficient, especially in conveying the complexity of his thoughts.
Furthermore, the use of the exclamation mark once again adds to this sense resentment
Prufrock experiences when faced with communication in the modern world. In fact, the
extract is riddled with ellipses, question marks and exclamation marks, fragmenting the
poem and adding to this growing sense of grievance at the insufficiency of the human
language. Alternatively, this fragmentation of the poem could also be seen as an attempt
by Eliot to illustrate the confinement and lack of unity he associates with modernity.
Prufrock’s emotional frustration at the desolation he feels is further heightened by a sense
of sexual frustration. This is expressed in the fear he exhibits in the case that his partner
“should say: That is not it at all, That is not what I meant at all.” (lines 108-110). The use
of the word “should” here implies a hypothetical situation, emphasizing how this
overriding sense of fear experienced by Prufrock at the thought of rejection is solely selfcaused. Also, the repetition of “at all” implies a complete lack of clarity; Prufrock’s own
thoughts were so far from the woman’s thoughts that it’s almost as if the very
foundations on which communication is built have been destabilized. This enigmatic
image Eliot builds up of the opposite sex is reiterated in the image of “the mermaids
singing, each to each” (line 123). First of all, the depiction of women as “mermaids”,
mythical creatures, portrays them in an almost unreal light, as if they belong to a different
race. Prufrock’s sexual frustration at his inability to communicate with these otherworldly
creatures in suggested in their singing “each to each” as opposed to him directly. This is
also stated very explicitly, “I do not think they will sing to me” (line 124). This allusion
to mermaids could also be a reference to the Sirens in the Odyssey, associated with
malevolence, and thus turning this sexual experience into one of aggression. Similarly, it
could be read as a reference to John Donnes poem, ‘Song’, where women are depicted in
an almost inscrutable light. Both interpretations ultimately hint at this consuming sense of
exasperation Prufrock feels at the apparently mythical nature of the opposite sex, thus
adding to the initial sense of solitude experienced at his inability to convey his thoughts.
The second most definitive characteristic of Eliot’s modern world is the lack of privacy.
In fact, the very way in which the poem is written, as an exposure of Prufrock’s thoughts
sheds light on the objectivity with which modernism was associated, almost as a
scientific exploration of the human psychology. This lack of boundaries is emphasized in
line 106, where Prufrock feels as though, “a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on
a screen”. The “magic lantern” is a reference to a type of camera, hence implying his
uneasiness at the thought of projecting his thoughts to the outside world. Moreover, the
image of displaying his “nerves on a screen” as if they were a form of entertainment,
depicts the world as a terrifying place; in which even one’s most vulnerable side is
exposed. This complete lack of any privacy is further reiterated in Prufrock’s obsession
with hair. The first time the audience is introduced to this is the “bald spot in the middle
of [his] hair” (line 42), an sign of aging he feels self-conscious about. This idea is then revisited in line 121, “Shall I part my hair behind?” This paranoia about his appearance and
the opinions of others has become so consuming, that it’s almost engrained in his
thoughts. Furthermore, the sheer triviality of the question adds to this overwhelming
sense of fear Prufrock experiences at the thought of living in the modern world. Issues as
petty as his hair have become subjects of anxiety for him. Eliot maintains Prufrock’s
infatuation with hair towards the end of the extract, illustrating the mermaids as,
“combing the white hair of the waves” (line 126). Comparing the waves to something as
loosely related as hair once again highlights how Prufrock is so immersed in his pursuit
to survive that even his most fictitious, intimate thoughts have been violated by
modernity. The suffocating nature of this experience is depicted most evidently in the
closing line of the extract, “till human voices wake us, and we drown” (line 130). The act
of waking up here is associated with a sudden realization of reality; Prufrock is almost
wrenched out of his fantasy world into the melancholy of the modern world. The fact that
the voices are human adds to his sense of desolation he feels, despite being part of the
society himself. More importantly however, Eliot’s description of his realization as one
comparative to “drowning” affirms the claustrophobia he so strongly associates with life
in the modern world, as if the very experience of existing is smothering.
The final way in which Eliot presents modernity in the passage is through the
monotonous, hollow actions that define Prufrock’s life. This is portrayed most boldly in
the references made to other artists writing around the same time. An example of this is
line 103, “After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets”. Here the
allusion to the “dooryards” is a reference to Walt Whitman’s poem, ‘When Lilacs Last in
the Dooryard Bloomed’, written as a celebration of sorts of human life. This optimistic
message is then subverted in the passage, merged into an almost labored, tiresome list.
The reduction of Whitman’s poetry here not only questions the point of literature, but
also adds to this sense of weariness Prufrock shows towards life in general, as if it draws
on endlessly. Eliot then continues with, “After the novels, after the teacups, after the
skirts that trail along the floor” (line 103). The continuation of the list, as well as the
repetition of the word “after” enhances this air of fatigue or indifference established at the
beginning of the extract; Prufrock seems bored with what life has to offer. This is
reiterated in the Shakespearean reference, “No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to
be”. The abruptness of the “No!” at the beginning of the stanza re-establishes this sense
of irritation Prufrock feels at the foreignness of the modern world, it also asserts a
negative viewpoint, adding to the overall cynicism and lethargy prevalent throughout the
passage. The reference to Prince Hamlet in particular here can be seen as the use of irony
to emphasize the sheer insignificance of Prufrock’s life. Hamlet, like Prufrock, spends
much of his time in a state of indecision, going back and forth between events in his
mind. What distinguishes them, however, is the fact that Hamlet takes action at the end of
the play, something Prufrock does not have the courage to do. Furthermore, the use of the
phrase, “to be” can be read as an allusion to Shakespeare’s question, “To be or not to
be?”, something Prufrock is in no position to ask, once again illustrating the futility of his
existence. Instead, he is “an attendant lord…an easy tool, deferential, glad to be of use”
(lines 113-115). The fact that Prufrock is a side-act in his own life indicates a lack of
control, questioning his very extistence. Additionally, by defining himself as an “easy
tool”, a service to others, Eliot once again asserts this sense of dreariness. Shakespeare is
referenced a second time in line 121, “I grow old…I grow old”. Here Eliot is alluding to
Falstaff, a character from Henry IV known for the risks and adventures he took in his life.
The spontaneity of this character is then undermined by the dullness of Prufrock’s life,
emphasized through the use of ellipses, which give the line an almost eternal air. This is
enhanced by the repitition of the question, “would it have been worth it…” (line 100), as
if Prufrock is not only questioning the way in which the modern world works, but the
significance of his mundane life.
In conclusion, Eliot expresses through the voice of Prufrock his own views on life post
World War I, a world he viewed as alienating, overly introspective and most evidently,
futile and tiresome. He also writes with startling objectivity, stripping away any
euphemisms to expose the most intimate parts of the human psyche. The almost
scientific-like way in which this is carried foreword only emphasizes the cruelty Eliot so
strongly associates with modernity, but also a lack of any creativity or artistry in the
aftermath of the war.