The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock – Armand

For I have known them all already, known them all:
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
…
So how should I presume?
(49-51, 54)

Presume, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “to believe something to be true because it is very likely, although you are not certain.” In the passage, Prufrock assures himself that “he [has] measured out [his] life with coffee spoons,” which means that he has everything calculated and figured out the small details (Dahl). This is because, if taken literally, a coffee spoon is small and holds approximately 10 grams or 0.36 ounces. In this case, Prufrock measures everything he does and so he does not account for changes or mistakes. Additionally, the first two lines of this stanza indicates that Prufrock may not be young for he has “known them all already,” which could be another way of saying the phrase: “I have seen better days.” Going back to Cambridge Dictionary’s definition, this passage means that Prufrock assures himself for he has experienced everything and accounted for anything that could change his life or his habits, and so he asks himself the rhetorical question, “Where should I be uncertain?” (Dahl).

I chose this passage not just because it contains one of T.S. Eliot’s iconic lines, which is “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” but also because I kind of relate to it. As an introvert, I try to calculate everything, especially when giving an oral presentation in class or usually the first days of class when professors ask everyone to introduce themselves, but I also leave space for uncertainty and adventure. In relation to the poem as a whole, I believe that this passage encapsulates Prufrock’s wavering confidence as it conveys the message of reassurance, which sort of contradicts Prufrock’s self-doubt and insecurity.

References
https://bit.ly/354jyKM – Coffee spoons
https://bit.ly/354jyKM – “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons”
https://bit.ly/359yyHs – Cambridge Dictionary