As promised, I am sharing with you my thoughts about how to go about organizing your essays. While this is an analytical essay much like your first essay, writing about two texts poses certain challenges. Basically, you have two options for organizing a comparative essay of this sort:

Option #1

Introduction: Introduces Text A and Text B, articulates the question you are asking, and lets the reader know where you will be going to answer the question (the road map.)

Body Paragraph 1: Idea #1/Text A

Body Paragraph 2: Idea #1/Text B

Body Paragraph 3: Idea #2/Text A

Body Paragraph 4: Idea #2/Text B

Body Paragraph 5: Idea #3/Text A

Body Paragraph 6: Idea #3/Text B

Conclusion: Brings together Texts A and B and provides an answer to the “so what?” question.

Obviously, you may have more than 3 ideas and more than 6 body paragraphs. This is just to give you the general idea of what Option #1 might look like. Option #1 works best when your two texts are tightly aligned and you are making parallel arguments about the two texts.

Option #2

Introduction: Same as in Option #1

Body Paragraph 1: Idea #1/Text A

Body Paragraph 2: Idea #2/Text A

Body Paragraph 3: Idea #3/Text A

Body Paragraph 4: (transition) Idea #1/Text B

Body Paragraph 5: Idea #2/Text B

Body Paragraph 6: Idea #3/Text B

Conclusion: Same as in Option #1

In my opinion, Option #1 is somewhat more challenging to execute because it requires more going back and forth between the two texts, but both are excellent ways to organize a comparative essay. However, you need to choose one option or the other and stick with it. Do not try to combine these two organizational approaches to create a third option! What both of these options require is that you PLAN your essay before writing it! This will yield a much more effective piece of writing!

Use the comments area below to ask me any questions you may still have about this!

Good luck!!

Borowski’s fictional account of his young narrator’s experience in Auschwitz-Birkenau is full of horrifying moments.  Choose one example of dehumanization in the texts and share it on the blog, answering the following questions:

–What is going on in the example you share?

–What about this example made a particularly strong impression on you?

–What is its significance within the context of the story?

–What questions does it raise?

In the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, Prufrock seems like a restless man, constantly questioning himself and his current position in life, and contemplating what his next move will be. In lines 36 and 37 he says “and indeed there will be a time to wonder, do I dare? Do I dare?” and again in lines 46-48, “Do I dare, disturb the universe? In a minute, there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.” It’s here that he appears to question what his next move will be. Does he dare make a decision, make a change? He continues to have this sort of insecurity, constantly questioning himself throughout the poem: “How should I presume?” (61), “How should I begin?” (69), “Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?” (121). He seems tired of the same old things, claiming to have ‘seen’ and ‘known’ it all: “I have known the eyes already, known them all” (55), “I have known the arms already, known them all” (63). It’s as though he feels trapped – he’s afraid to make a move, yet he’s also afraid of not making one and of looking back on his life when he’s old and wondering if what he had done was worth it. He’s “seen the moment of [his] greatness flicker…and in short, [he] was afraid” (84,86).

Lines 47 and 48 stood out to me, where it said “In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.” Here, I felt like Prufrock was really trying to stress how fleeting moments are. In a minute, we could make a decision that changes everything. And just as quickly as a decision can be made, it can be unmade and we can find ourselves right back where we started. Life moves so fast and if we spend so much time being indecisive, we might find ourselves looking back years later and realize we aren’t where we want to be, or we haven’t accomplished what we wanted to accomplish.

Three questions I had while reading this poem were: What are the significance of arms in the poem? Who are the mermaids? Why does he talk about drowning in the end – is that referencing the possibility of his own death because he’s unhappy?

An example of romanticism is shown in the beginning of  T. S Elliot’s poem ” The Love Song of J. Alfred”, in lines 5 and 6. The narrator says:

“Let us go, through certain half- deserted  streets,the muttering retreats,of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels,And sawdust restaurants with oyster shells”

After this stanza he begins to speak about his later experiences in life. The context of the poem would help to make one believe that he wasn’t happy through out his life.  He starts off the poem comparing the weather to a patient on anesthesia.

“And would it have been worth it, after all,After the cups, the marmalade, the tea,among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,would it have been worth while,to have bitten off the  matter with a smile, to have squeezed the universe into a ball, to roll it toward some overwhelming question”

According to this stanza,  Prufrock regrets something. However he has not spoke exactly about what would have been worth it all. but it is very obvious that if he would taken the risk he speaks of he would have been happy. You can also say that it must have been something very big, being that he says:” To have squeezed the universe into a ball”. This must have meant the world to him, if he compared it to a universe.

1. What is the Yellow Fog?
2. What do you think his regrets may have been related to?
3. Why does he compare himself to Lazarus and Prince Hamlet?

After reading “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. From reader’s point of view, we sensed that he is well-educated by choosing of the word and the style of modernism and romanticism he adapted in the poem.

“Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table.”(3)
”Street that follow like a tedious argument or insidious intent”(9)

In the excerpt from the poem, he uses the metaphor as “like a patient etherized upon a table”, from the syntax and choosing of the word. We can tell he is a scientific person who adapt provocative and logical thinking between his sentences. However, he is not happy with his life. He is not confidence with physical appearance from hair to body figure. And the self-consciousness of his appearance has made him feel awkward that carried on in the end of every paragraph in the poem.

“Do I dare Disturb the universe?”(46)
”Is it perfume from a dress that makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
And should I then presume?
And how should I begin?”(69)

In the other hand, under his sophisticated and well-manner suit. He has delicate and sensitive heart by telling reader the environment with an ironic pessimism. He constantly asked himself questions and that reveals the anxious when it comes to topic of relationship.

What is Alfred Prufrock trying to say about social constructs and how he feels about them?

How does Alfred Prufrock use vivid imagery to convey his ironic views (Lazarus rising, … like a patient etherized upon a table)?

What do the striking images that Alfred Prufrock use indicate about Alfred Prufrock or the writer?

I hope you all manage to have a restful and restorative Thanksgiving Break and spend quality time with your friends and families! That said – we do have some ongoing work that you will need to take care of….

1. Remember to go back to the blog, read the questions your classmates posted about T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” and respond to two questions by noon on Monday, Nov. 28th. You may not respond to a question that someone else has already answered.

2. I have posted the assignment for your final essay. You can access it via the “essays” tab above. The first step of this assignment is submitting a paper topic to me. Your topic should be emailed to me at [email protected] no later than midnight on Monday, Nov. 28th. The sooner you submit a topic, the sooner you will hear back from me. Your email should include the two texts you want to write about and the analytical question you are asking about them.  At this point, we are NOT looking for a thesis statement.  We may have to email back and forth a few times in order to refine and adjust your topic. If your topic is ready to go, you will receive an email from me approving it.

3. We will be discussing Kafka, “The Metamorphosis” in class on November 30th. It is a long text, so allow yourself plenty of time to get the reading done before the 30th. Do not come to class without having finished the reading!

Looking forward to seeing you all on November 30th, but in the meantime, feel free to contact me by email if you have questions about any of this!

After combing through T. S. Eliot’s quite confusing poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufroct”, I believe that I can describe Prufroct. The character of J. Alfred Prufroct is cynical, believes that others are cynical, and appears to be reflecting on his experiences while giving advice to the reader. He seems to resent people who try hard to fit in, as shown by the lines where between the mentions of “women talking of Michelangelo”. He appears to believe that there is a right and a wrong time for everything. His cynicism comes out in the part of the poem that I believe that I understand best,

And indeed there will be time to wonder, “Do I dare?” and “Do I dare?” Time to turn back and descend the stair, With a bald spot in the middle of my hair – (They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”) My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin – (They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”) Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

Here is where I believe Prufroct is explaining his belief that everything has a time and his resentment of those who try to fit in. He explicitly says multiple times thoroughout the piece “there will be a time”, which to me is the signal that he is a proponent of the belief that everything happens for a reason and is planned out by a higher being. The lines in parenthesis signal both his believe that people are cynical and that he resents those cynics. In the lines around this block, women discussing popular culture are mentioned. I believe that they are the ones who he is saying will say the cynical things. These analyses are reinforced by the line “Do I dare disturb the universe?” because Prufroct, being a cynic himself would rather question if he should challenge his surroundings rather and assert his own beliefs and opinions.

Questions:

1. What does the first paragraph translate to in English?
2. Is there a significance to the fog being yellow?
3. Why would a human voice drown “us”? (544)

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a poem written by T.S. Elliot. After reading several times and digesting each line, I was finally able to grasp some of the poem’s meaning. This speaker of this poem is the character Prufrock, who throughout the poem is addressing a woman. Prufrock is in love with the woman he speaks about, and his words suggest that he is being held back from approaching her and telling her how he feels. Prufrock says “Do I dare / disturb the universe?” (45-46). This is one line that tied together most of the poem for me, and allowed me to understand Prufrock and his current struggle. I read these lines as Prufrock expressing that the people he is surrounded by are judgmental, which seems to be what is holding him back from telling this woman he loves how he feels. T.S. Elliot presents Prufrock as a character that is facing some kind of battle involving his internal psych and a lack of confidence. Prufrock is a confused character and is constantly searching for an answer and some kind of guidance. Prufrock later says, “And should I then presume? / And how should I begin?” (68-69). These lines relate back to lines 45-46, in that Prufrock continues to express his frustration which stems from this inability to tell the woman how he feels because of the people he is surrounded by and their influence on his mind. Prufrock is a character that is lost in his thoughts and emotions. He is afraid to come forward with what he feels for this woman, and is unsure of how he would even begin the process.

Three questions about the poem:

1. Is there any significance in the form of Elliot’s writing and his use of fragmentation?
2. Why reference religious figures?
3. Do you think Prufrock thinks interaction with this woman is at all possible?

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a poem that shows the consciousness of a man. He knows he is not the ideal man, who all the women will swoon over. He knows he has flaws and is aware of all these aspects. He feels as if everyone is judging him based on how he appears, such as his balding head and how his arms and legs are thin. No one has said anything to him about his appearances, but he mentally thinks about what people will say about him and how he looks, because he does not have that perfect male physique that women desire. He does not seem happy with how he looks and is very conscious about his life, especially since he does not seem to live it to the potential that he would want.

“Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to each a peach?

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me.”

This quote shows one of the instances where Prufrock is once again worried about his appearances, such as his hair and what pants he should wear on a trip to the beach. He then talks about mermaids, which in reality are mythical, so he speaks of women who do not even exist but they are still ignoring him because he is not the best looking.

“No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was that meant to be;

Am an attendant lord, one that will do

To swell a progress, start a scene or two,

Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,

Deferential, glad to be of use,

Politic, cautious, and meticulous;

Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;

At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—

Almost, at times, the Fool.”

Another quote about his appearance and how he is feels about himself is shown here. He compares himself to Prince Hamlet, but then to a fool. He believes he can never be someone as great as Hamlet, but instead only look like a fool or a jester. He looks at himself as a simple, ordinary man, who is nothing above that, but maybe below.

1. Who are the women and what room are they in?
2. Where is Prufrock in the poem?
3. How is this a love song?

The poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot is about a man that does not have confidence in himself. He has doubts about approaching women because of appearance  as it can be seen in “They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin?'” (41) in which he assumes how they will immediately talk about his thinning hair. He is a character with low self esteem and many doubts.

In the poem the line that capture his doubts more are ” To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;  There will be time to murder and create/ A time yet for a hundred indecision, And for a hundred visions and revisions” (27-28, 32-33) in which demonstrate how he envisions having to portray this made up face that he could “murder” and  recreate, imagining many scenarios in his mind and revising them time after time. These quotes capture the doubt that Prufrock has about himself and how his low self esteem are what drive his indecisiveness . Another line that very much shows how low Prufrock  self esteem is when he states ” I have heard the mermaids singing each to each, I do not think they will sing to me” this is important because according to greek mythology mermaid sang to handsome men, this capture how he believes that he is not attractive enough to be sung to by the mermaids.

This is a difficult poem to read  and the drastic changes make it harder to understand that why I have these questions.

1. Why does Prufrock choose to focus on the yellow cat?
2. Why does he focus so much on his physical appearance?
3. Why the reference to Michael Angelo?