... humanity's) decline to a trite and lifeless existence. The modern banality of civilisation is further presented as the speaker 'drank coffee, and talked for an hour'. The '[drinking] of coffee' is a menial act, suggesting the inanimate qualities of people in need of stimulus, whilst the indolent conversation which follows indicates the hollow existence of Western aristocratic society; a concept explored further in Eliot's 'The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock', as '[he has] measured out [his ... ] life in coffee spoons' implying a meticulously planned rationale, investi...

• Word Count: 1365
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate