Prufrock: A Journey Into The Mind Of A Wasted Life

“ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a poem which has nothing to do with love. The title is actually ironic considering the grim content the poem embraces. It is a collection of thoughts the speaker has as he sits in a bar, looking over the past years of his life. The speaker is an old man who is unable to love anything, including himself. He is extremely insecure, especially in the company of women. He’s also very indecisive, and has cynical views of the world that surrounds him.

The epigraph at the beginning of the poem is a quote from Dante’s “Inferno.” This immediately gives the reader a sense of the damnation, in which Prufrock feels he has lived. One might assume from the epigraph that Prufrock is in his own living hell, and he feels it won’t make any difference if he tells his story, since he will forever remain in the “gulf.” Prufrock seems to be addressing the reader as if he were talking directly to him/her, where in actuality he is really speaking internally to himself.

When Prufrock’s words first appear, his emotions seem to be calm and easy flowing. He invites the reader to go with him on a journey. He then begins to si

He asks himself, “Do I dare/ Disturb the universe.” This question of whether or not he dares to upset the human array of society, is an array that he deems himself to be condemned to a life void of love and eternal loneliness. He does not know if he should approach one of the women. He fears if he was rejected, his life might be crushed to shambles. Prufrock says, “ I’ve measured my life out in coffee spoons.” He has carefully mapped out every move he’s taken in his life, so as not to cause controversy by stepping on anyone’s toes. He speaks of mermaids singing, that will probably not sing to him. This reiterates the aspect of his self-doubt with women. Prufrock’s insecurity is one dilemma that leads to another one of his problems, indecisiveness.

people, especially women, all his life. He is worried what people will think of the bald spot on his head, or if they will notice his thin arms and legs. He paints the picture of him being pinned up on a wall. One can’t help but draw the idea of a science project which is about to be dissected. He is pinned down while other people can pick and inspect everything he is made of. They can continue to cut at him until there is nothing left, which is something society has already done to him mentally, by way of looks and words. These are Prufrock’s memories of society, and where he fits into it. He is not fond of his memories. Rather, he is disgusted with them. “To spit out the butt-ends of my days and ways.” Instead of sharing his memories, Prufrock wants to spit them out, as they have left a bad taste in his mouth. The word “butt-ends” is clearly a reference to the butt of a cigarette, which is the filter. The filter of the cigarette starts out white, but the smoke begins to tarnish it and stain it brown. This is the same stain that society has left on h

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