Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Prufrock's Love Song
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is similar to a monologue as Prufrock releases a stream of consciousness. Prufrock is clearly is unsure of his place on earth. The questions he asks throughout the poem reflect his insecurities. It is important to mention that he is incapable of forming complete questions in most cases. He repeats the question "Do I dare" but does not fully articulate what it is that he dare to do. The question is fully developed when he asks: "Do I dare/Disturb the universe." Prufrock believes that he is a nuisance to the earth. This terribly sad inclination that Prufrock feels and thinks conveys his helplessness on earth. He feels as though his importance amounts to nothing and that he might as well be a crab on the bottom of the sea. In his love story, Prufrock explains his feeling of worthlessness through this monologue.
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This quote pretty much sums up Prufrock's depressing image of his futile and insignificant existence.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I sympathize with his hopelessness and helplessness on Earth; it's also kind of ironic that this depiction Eliot was trying to convey was a sort of an extreme representation of the modern psyche...
I really liked your topic and I think if you compared Prufrock's dramatic monologue to Hamlet's soliloquy by using the method of "stream of consciousness" to connect the two, your argument could have been stronger and more concise. Your close analysis is clearly reflected when you mention Prufrock's constantly incomplete questions. Another comparison that I just though of is that you could relate Profrock's sense of futility and "his feeling of worthlessness" with Hamlet's similar feelings. Im sure that when the court and especially Claudius tell Hamlet to quit thinking about his dead father because it insults nature as well as the dead, Hamlet feels alone, helpless, and crab-like. Solid effort Thor!
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