1) In T.S. Eliot’s poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, the speaker of the poem, Alfred Prufrock, is a balding, lean-armed, and insecure middle-aged man. As the poem progresses, the reader can almost categorize Prufrock as a coward. He lists some of the things that he knows well, such as living through mornings with coffee, women. However, his lack of self-esteem and confidence discourages him from approaching women and others in the society throughout his life. As a result, Prufrock has lived a life without ever trying to go outside of his comfort zone, and is isolated from the rest of the society.
2) “I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me” (line 124-125).
Lack of self-esteem and confidence is a big part of this poem, and I believe this quote here depicts clearly of how Prufrock is discouraged with his own thoughts. This quote depicts mermaids, mythical creatures that are known to seduction of men with their good appearances and amazing voices. But in Prufrock’s mind, he thinks that even the mermaids would not like to seduce him because he is not good enough and will even be rejected by the mermaids. As readers, we can get a glimpse of how Prufrock’s lack of confidence plays a role here, if mermaids, mythical creatures that are known for seducing men are not even interested in him, then why would humans even be consider him?
Three questions:
1) Why does T. S. Eliot say that life is measured in teaspoons?
2) Where is Prufrock?
3) In line 26-27, what does Prufrock mean when he says that there will be time “to prepare a face meet the faces that you meet?”
Answering question #3: This line is mentioned before Prufrock goes and “interacts” with the women in the room who only speak of Michelangelo. When one goes out into public to interact with others, their true self is not always displayed. “Preparing a face” can be compared to putting on a mask, hiding one’s real intentions. In the poem, Prufrock prepares his face as he is not true to himself, not ready to confess his emotions to his lover.
Hi Angela,
When Prufrock says he has measured his life in coffee spoons, we may interpret in two ways:
1- He is indicating that he has spent a lot of time participating in social coffee or tea. He has being social during his life.
2- Prufrock lives his life cautiously, and is not a spontaneous man. All decisions he makes, he measures and weights carefully.
Angela,
Really nice comments and questions. The line about the coffee spoons and the one about “preparing a face” are two of my favorite lines in the poem! I see that no one has responded to your question about location, perhaps because we don’t know exactly where Prufrock is. However, I think it’s important that this is an urban poem. The kind of loneliness that Prufrock feels is typical of 20th century urban life. People left their extended families in the countryside to move to the city to take factory jobs. In the urban environment, paradoxically, people live in close proximity to one another, but yet are more lonely and isolated than previously .
JS