The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay - 1524 Words

Question: Part A: Analyze the social and historical context of a particular poem Poem: T. S. Eliot, ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock The context of any given text whether poetry, novels or a movie is always integral to its understanding. Social and historical context of not only the given text, but the writer’s context and reader’s context play an important role in the interpretation and understanding of the major ideas, issues, values and beliefs within the text. T.S (Thomas Stearns) Eliot was one of the twentieth century’s major poets and still remains relevant today. For many, Eliot and his works synonymous with Modernism; his â€Å"use of myth to undergird and order atomized modern experience; its collage-like juxtaposition of†¦show more content†¦As Word War 1 ended, this in turn challenged the cultural notions of masculinity at that time; an entire generation of young men were killed in this war and the gender roles between men and women began to vary. Women had to start taking on the traditional male roles in order to compensate for the lack of ‘manpower’, this ga ve women the opportunity to pursue occupations and interests that were previously viewed as social taboo (Saleem, M, 2012, p. 372). Towards the start of the Modernist era women were seen drinking and smoking in public and ‘earnt’ the right to vote. This change is apparent through the theme of the ‘tortured psyche’ and through the hesitation and apprehension of Prufrock. This changing nature of gender roles is also representative of the very repressed Victorian era; which is possibly why the poem wasn’t initially received in good taste (Blythe, H Sweet, C, 2004, p. 109). As demonstrated it is quite clear how the social and political changes occurring in that time manifested itself into Eliot’s poem and therefore his own ideals at that time. The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock was considered shocking and offensive at the time of its production. However, retrospective analysis reveals the text was somewhat foreshadowing the cultural shift from the 19th century Romanticism era to the Modernist era which followed. Factors which shaped the ModernistShow MoreRelatedThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1647 Words   |  7 Pagesseen in T.S. Eliot’s work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The main character, Prufrock, plans to ask the woman he loves the overwhelming question of marriage, but due to his pessimistic outlook, he became hesitant and self conscious. Surges of insecurity arise, and instead of proposing his love, Prufrock delays the question and spends the night talking nonsense to avoid the situation. In the end, Prufrock’s insecurities and fear of rejection alter his feelings of love into a sense of emotional protectionRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock970 Words   |  4 PagesNever in Love When reading the title of T.S Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. 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Elliot, essentially is about a simple man that wishes to ask a question, although the question is never revealed, the reader is taken on journey the with the speaker, only to find that they have spent a lengthy amount of time of their lives without ever asking theRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1928 Words   |  8 PagesHuman Voices Wake Us and We Drown’: Community in ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’,† James Haba contends that the repeated use of â€Å"you†, â€Å"we†, and â€Å"us† in T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† creates a personal ambience around the reader and Prufrock. Because of this, Haba argues that Eliot’s use of personal pronouns and references produces a sense of community and intimacy between the reader and Prufrock (53), even though Prufrock seemingly struggles with emotions of intimacy andRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock915 Words   |  4 PagesThe Love Song of Alfred Prufrock: Taking the Love out of Song A tragedy in a poem is usually characterized as an event that has a tragic or unhappy ending. They generally are used to teach morals or lessons. T.S. Eliot’s, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, is considered a tragedy because of the way Eliot uses four different writing styles: word choice, figurative language, images, and biblical allusions. Using these styles, Eliot acknowledges the tragic endeavor of single, reclusiveRead MoreThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock1729 Words   |  7 PagesThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock The dramatic monologue â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was written by Thomas Stearns Eliot and published in June of 1915. Eliot was born in St Louis, Missouri on September 26, 1888, where he grew up and lived until the age of eighteen. After high school, Eliot studied at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA and the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Eventually, Eliot ended up in England where he married his wife Vivien and spent the remainder of his lifeRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1125 Words   |  5 Pagesmodernism. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, despite being one of T.S Eliot s earliest publications, still manages to remain one of the most famous. He uses this poem to not only draw out the psychological aspect of members of modern society, but also to draw out the aspect of the time that he lived in. The speaker of this poem is a modern man who feels alone, isolated, and incapable of making decisive actions for himself. Prufrock desires to sp eak to a woman about his love for her, but heRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock986 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot and Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold the poets utilizes poetic devices to convey their respective themes. Through use of symbols and metaphors, the speaker in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock displays his fears of the changes brought with the younger generation, and isolation from the changing society. The speaker in Dover Beach, utilizes symbols, metaphors, and similes to state that the younger generation has less faith than the older, and societyRead MoreThe Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock1966 Words   |  8 Pagessymbolism to capture the readers attention in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The poem has a dramatic discourse. The percipience of lifes emptiness is the main theme of the poem. Eliot exhorts the spiritual decomposition by exploring a type of life in death. T. S. Eliot, who in the Clark Lectures notes, Real Irony is an expression of suffering(Lobb, 53), uses irony and symbolism throughout the poem to exemplify the suffering of J. Alfred Prufrock who believes he is filled with spiritual morbidityRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1005 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† published in 1915, was written by a man named T.S. Eliot. The speaker of the poem begins to describe an evening that appears to be somewhat romantic and a little mysterious. As the reader progresses into the poem, the mood soon fades and the reader starts to figure out that this evening is not what they pictured. â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† is a poem written by Robert Frost. The poem was first published in 1927. The speaker of the poem has a similar mood as