Prufrock Drowns In A Sea Of Insecurity

In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," T. S. Eliot reveals the silent insecurity of a man, for whom the passing of time indicates the loss of virility and confidence. Throughout the poem, Prufrock struggles with his fear of inadequacy, which surfaces socially, physically and romantically. The desire to ask some "overwhelming question," of the one he wants is outweighed by his diffidence, reinforcing his belief in his shortcomings. Ultimately, this poem is the internal soliloquy of someone who attempts to know what he wants and how to get it, but whose social paralysis and lack of self-assuredness prevents either of these possibilities.

Eliot begins the poem with an epigraph from Dante's Inferno. "If I thought that my reply would be to someone who would ever return to earth, this flame would remain without further movement; but as no one has ever returned alive from this gulf, if what I hear is true, I can answer you with no fear of infamy," (CowboyJunkies.com). These words, spoken to Dante, signify an important aspect of Eliot's poem--Prufrock's confused vacillation and neurotic ambiguity are entirely contained within his own mind, allowing them to occur without concern for the reaction of peers. Eliot chooses to emphasize the insecure nature of his character Prufrock throughout the text, exemplified in his self-questioning, "Do I dare...to turn back and ascend the stair, with a bald spot in the middle of my hair--they will say: 'How his hair is growing thin!'" This concern over social perception strengthens the importance of the introductory message: Prufrock is desperately afraid of being rejected, and if he thought that his nervous wonderings would be heard by "someone who would return to Earth", or could repeat them to others, he would abandon them completely and "remain without further movement;" but as no one has ever heard these thoughts, he can think them freely "with no fear of infamy."

Prufrock's 'love song' begins with a barrage of imagery that connotes an unfulfilled desire. He and his yet unidentified company, presumably the love interest later addressed in the poem, go "through certain half deserted streets...that follow like a tedious argument with insidious intent," while recounting "restless nights in one-night cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells." The memories of oysters and nights spent together juxtapose the cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants in a way that sets the tone for the rest of the poem-- a reasonable desire and pursuit of happiness, with an inevitable realization of inadequacy. This inadequacy is Prufrock's ultimate fear. The "patient etherized upon a table" represents Prufrock wanting to divulge his secret desires to his companion, but being prevented from doing so by his own woeful insecurities.

Eliot continues first by introducing a couplet that is repeated later in the poem. The repetitions of "the women [who] come and go talking of Michelangelo" signify the social life lead by Prufrock. These women are seen again later in the poem, but are then also representing the seemingly slowed yet continuous flow of time outside one's own thoughts. "The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window panes...and curled about the house and fell asleep" is another repeated image in the poem. The personification of the fog allows for a direct association to be made by the reader, and yet only certain parts of the fog have been personified, "its back, its muzzle, its tongue." This provides what seems to be an incomplete description, hollowing the 'character' and weakening the association. The tactic of relating only selected parts is also used when discussing people elsewhere in the poem, including the woman of whom Prufrock is so fond and even Prufrock himself.

After a slow and melancholy tone has been established, Prufrock confidently proclaims, "And indeed there will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; There will be time to murder and create; Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a hundred indecisions, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of a toast and tea." The assertion is that during a short period of time one can form, erase, and reform different personae in order to better deal with the obligations of life; one can create and destroy as many things as desired, and consider anything and everything that needs to be considered. This is indicative of Prufrock's reliance on deliberation. Everything must be considered, including himself; and while being considered, the world seems to be continuing on in slow motion in the background. This statement is followed by the resurgence of "the women...talking of Michelangelo." As mentioned before, the women here represent the continued passage of time during the seemingly endless reflection. In fact, the introspection resumes after "the women come and go," with Prufrock's questioning of his own bravery.

"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?" There are several things that should be noted about the preceding lines. First, the reader gets an idea for the neurotic nature of Prufrock and his concern over his image. This is the defining characteristic of Prufrock and his 'love song.' Second, the talk, "How his hair is growing thin," and "But how his arms and legs are thin," reduces him to parts, just as the fog was reduced before him. Prufrock, ever-concerned over his adaptation to social custom, fears such a reduction in the eyes of his peers; and the increasing thinness of the remaining parts serves only to further illustrate their diminishing respect for him. Finally, the reader is given a sense of timelessness here in two ways. The women who represent time's passage seem to interrupt Prufrock's contemplation, again suggesting that thought can exist independent of time. Also, he questions whether he dares to "disturb the universe" by ceasing his timeless reflection and interacting with those around him. Does he dare? Only in his mind is he safe from the criticism and reduction of others.

The contemplation of timelessness ends with the statement, "In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse," concluding the idea of timeless