The Love Song of J. Alfred Purfrock by T. S. Elliot is a paradoxical poem that addresses both the elements of Romanticism and Modernism. According to, “Modern Poetry,” modern poets, such as Elliot, believed that, “Romantic reveries about natural beauty or the soul had become… poetic clichés (507). In order to steer away from such clichés, modernists, “sought…precision and clarity…and emphasized the construction of the literary work” (507). However, Elliot constructs a modernistic poem by using romanticism-like qualities as a basis, turning the The Love Song of J. Alfred Purfrock into a parody that mocks the previous literary era and introduces the new modern era.
Elliot’s mockery of Romantic ideals is emphasized in his use of an unpredictable thyme scheme. For example, the narrator’s, J. Alfred Purfrock, monologue begins as, “Let us go then, you and I,/ When the evening is spread out against the sky/ Like a patient etherized upon a table” (Elliot 1-3). This abrupt shift in rhythm brings the reader to a halt, giving them time to process what was just said. In the first two lines, Purfrock addresses his beloved and provides that person with an idealistic imagery scene of a beautiful landscape. This is indicative of, “Romantic reveries about natural beauty or the soul.” These two lines are coupled with an end rhyme, but the thought is continued into the third line. The third line gives a disturbing image and further stirs a sense of unsettlement within the reader when surrealism is added by Elliot’s choice to break the rhyme pattern. Elliot’s tendency to fail to follow through on rhyme patterns is a reoccurring happening throughout the poem. This demonstrates the modernistic element of using, “…language in a shocking or an unfamiliar way” (507). Elliot’s decision to juxtapose romantic and modern elements of poetry exhibits a sense of mockery that criticizes Romantic’s utilization of language.
Elliot’s references to older works of literature within this poem also create a jocular tone. He incorporates numerous texts ranging from the bible to works written during the 17th century. These allusions create a humorous tone because they are followed by a rhetorical question posed by Purfrock. For example, when Purfrock says, “And indeed there will be time” he is referencing Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress (Elliot 23). Purfrock later elaborates on that concept when he says “And indeed there will be time/ To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”/…Do I dare/ Disturb the universe?” (Elliot 37-38, 45-46). This sequence of a reference and then a question happens again when Elliot references Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night when Purfrock says, “I know the voices dying with a dying fall” (Elliot 52). Purfrock continues his monologue after that and says, “Beneath the music from a farther room./ So how should I presume” (Elliot 53-54)? The questions that Purfrock poses after alluding to past literature either seek instruction or permission to do something. By doing this, Elliot creates a mocking undertone when Purfrock is unable to move forward in his pursuit because he needs validation or help from what he has learned from the past. This represents modernism’s’ relationship to the past.