Saturday, July 20, 2019
Emotion in T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay examp
Emotion in T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock In his poem ââ¬Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,â⬠T.S. Eliot subtly conveys a wide variety of Prufrockââ¬â¢s emotions; he creates pathos for the speaker by employing the ââ¬Å"objective correlative,â⬠which Eliot defines as ââ¬Å"a set of objects, a situation, a chain of events [that] shall be the formula of that particular emotionâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Hamlet and His Problemsâ⬠). The first stanza introduces Prufrockââ¬â¢s isolation, as epitomized metaphorically by ââ¬Å"half-deserted streetsâ⬠(4): while empty streets imply solitude, Eliotââ¬â¢s diction emphasize Prufrock having been abandoned by the other ââ¬Å"halfâ⬠needed for a relationship or an ââ¬Å"argumentâ⬠(8). Hoping for a companion, Prufrock speaks to the reader when saying, ââ¬Å"Let us go then, you and Iâ⬠(1), as he needs to address his lament to an audience; conscious of the readerââ¬â¢s curiosity regarding the ââ¬Å"overwhelming question,â⬠(10) Prufrock answers, ââ¬Å"Oh, do not ask, ââ¬ËWhat is it?ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (11). (The likely explanation for Eliotââ¬â¢s inconsistent use of you in this stanza is Prufrock probably meaning you as ââ¬Å"To lead one,â⬠as he refers to himself and not the reader in line 10.) Eliot continues the metaphor of Prufrockââ¬â¢s lonesomeness by anthropomorphizing the ââ¬Å"yellow fogâ⬠and ââ¬Å"smokeâ⠬ (15, 16) to signify Prufrock, who interacts not with people, but only the environment in the third, fourth, and fifth stanzas. Clearly it is Prufrock who ââ¬Å"rubs [his] muzzle on the window-panesâ⬠(15, 16), passively lets ââ¬Å"fall upon [his] back the soot that falls from chimneysâ⬠(19), ââ¬Å"slides along the streetâ⬠(24), and performs the actions also described; also, the opacity of ââ¬Å"fogâ⬠and ââ¬Å"smokeâ⬠symbolizes the difficulty with which readers perceive Prufrockââ¬â¢s true character, further separating ... ...ers/you make of them,â⬠(37-9); Prufrock defines his misfortune by women, just as King Lear, also called ââ¬Å"fool,â⬠attributes his madness to women (his daughters). Reminiscent of Hamlet and Lear asking for the procreation of men like themselves to end , Prufrock thus speaks for all people like himself when he sentences those limited by inaction to death. Most likely intentional, the entire poem can be considered a metaphysical conceit designed to create pathos: Eliot uses the extended metaphor of Prufrock not acting, except mentally, and thus dying alone as the objective correlative for Prufrockââ¬â¢s anxiety of choice and consequent despair. Work Cited Eliot, T.S.. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1996. Pinion, F. B. A T.S. Eliot Companion. Totowa: Barnes & Noble Books, 1986. Emotion in T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay examp Emotion in T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock In his poem ââ¬Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,â⬠T.S. Eliot subtly conveys a wide variety of Prufrockââ¬â¢s emotions; he creates pathos for the speaker by employing the ââ¬Å"objective correlative,â⬠which Eliot defines as ââ¬Å"a set of objects, a situation, a chain of events [that] shall be the formula of that particular emotionâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Hamlet and His Problemsâ⬠). The first stanza introduces Prufrockââ¬â¢s isolation, as epitomized metaphorically by ââ¬Å"half-deserted streetsâ⬠(4): while empty streets imply solitude, Eliotââ¬â¢s diction emphasize Prufrock having been abandoned by the other ââ¬Å"halfâ⬠needed for a relationship or an ââ¬Å"argumentâ⬠(8). Hoping for a companion, Prufrock speaks to the reader when saying, ââ¬Å"Let us go then, you and Iâ⬠(1), as he needs to address his lament to an audience; conscious of the readerââ¬â¢s curiosity regarding the ââ¬Å"overwhelming question,â⬠(10) Prufrock answers, ââ¬Å"Oh, do not ask, ââ¬ËWhat is it?ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (11). (The likely explanation for Eliotââ¬â¢s inconsistent use of you in this stanza is Prufrock probably meaning you as ââ¬Å"To lead one,â⬠as he refers to himself and not the reader in line 10.) Eliot continues the metaphor of Prufrockââ¬â¢s lonesomeness by anthropomorphizing the ââ¬Å"yellow fogâ⬠and ââ¬Å"smokeâ⠬ (15, 16) to signify Prufrock, who interacts not with people, but only the environment in the third, fourth, and fifth stanzas. Clearly it is Prufrock who ââ¬Å"rubs [his] muzzle on the window-panesâ⬠(15, 16), passively lets ââ¬Å"fall upon [his] back the soot that falls from chimneysâ⬠(19), ââ¬Å"slides along the streetâ⬠(24), and performs the actions also described; also, the opacity of ââ¬Å"fogâ⬠and ââ¬Å"smokeâ⬠symbolizes the difficulty with which readers perceive Prufrockââ¬â¢s true character, further separating ... ...ers/you make of them,â⬠(37-9); Prufrock defines his misfortune by women, just as King Lear, also called ââ¬Å"fool,â⬠attributes his madness to women (his daughters). Reminiscent of Hamlet and Lear asking for the procreation of men like themselves to end , Prufrock thus speaks for all people like himself when he sentences those limited by inaction to death. Most likely intentional, the entire poem can be considered a metaphysical conceit designed to create pathos: Eliot uses the extended metaphor of Prufrock not acting, except mentally, and thus dying alone as the objective correlative for Prufrockââ¬â¢s anxiety of choice and consequent despair. Work Cited Eliot, T.S.. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1996. Pinion, F. B. A T.S. Eliot Companion. Totowa: Barnes & Noble Books, 1986.
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