The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is considered a modernist poem. The modernist period took place from the beginning of the twentieth century through about 1965. This period was considered a break from the usual interactions people had with eachother. They seemed to be discouraged and kept isolated from eachother. The modern period in English literature was a reaction against the Victorian culture and aesthetic which prevailed for most of the nineteenth century. People definitely took a break from regular traditions and the reasoning for this is because they believed that the previous generation's culture was coming to an end. The break from tradition also includes a strong reaction again established religious, political, and social views. People believed that the world was what we perceived it, therefore the world was what they said it was. During this time period, people believed that that is no such thing as absolute truth, the world is what we say it is. Modernism also dealt with the sub-conscious. I wanted to find characteristics on modernism because T.S. Eliot was a major modernist poet and the poem I'm analyzing focuses on modernism. I plan on bringing some of these characteristics into the beginning of my paper to start off with a good understanding of modernism.

After today's class discussion on Eliot's poem, I learned a lot about his use of irony. I definitely thought that the notes we took and the outside writing assignment would be very useful for my research. While reading The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, I came to the conclusion that T.S. Eliot is mocking Prufrock by using majestic language. Eliot writes in such a beautiful and deep way, but the meaning behind his poetry shows the complete opposite. The way that Eliot words everything and his fabulous language do not match the expression behind his poem, therefore, displaying irony throughout Eliot’s work.

The first example of irony shown in his poem is actually through the title, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Before the reader reads the poem, he or she must look at the title and think that this is genuinely a love poem. But Eliot uses irony from the beginning and uses a title that does not match the idea shown throughout the poem. During this time period, modernism was taking place, therefore people were feeling isolated. Prufrock was sitting by himself during the entire poem, questioning whether to talk to a woman or not. No communication took place; he just sat there waiting to hopefully make a move. At one point in the poem, Eliot writes, “Do I dare/ Disturb the universe?/ In a minute there is time/ For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse (Eliot lines 45-48). Prufrock is genuinely frightened that he will disturb the universe by even slightly saying something to this particular woman. I find this line ironic because he does not realize that the world will not be affected by this tiny action. To me, he almost seems conceited because he thinks he will make such a large change through his words. Many different things are ironic in Eliot’s poem, but the perfect example is the title.

Another example of irony is the fact that Eliot’s poem is a beautiful demonstration of communication, but the only character in his poem, Prufrock, cannot communicate whatsoever. This example is also the reason why I think Eliot is mocking Prufrock. Eliot obviously knows how to write in such a magnificent manner. He can make this poem even seem magnificent when it is actually very depressing. Prufrock cannot come to a decision. He not only does not know what to say to the woman, but he also does not know how to approach her. Even though this subject is disappointing and depressing for the reader to feel, the poem is still a wonderful piece altogether. I think this is very ironic because the meaning of the poem is so mournful, but Eliot’s use of  language is still majestic. These examples show the major use of irony and mocking towards Prufrock.

I'm continuing to analyze The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Dante's heroicism in decsending to Hell represents the antithesis of Prufrock when he says "No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; / Am an attendant lord, one that will do / To swell a progress, start a scene or two, / Advise the Prince; no doubt, an easy tool..." This attempt to become Hamlet or Dante passes with a pathetic acceptance on the part of Prufrock. Because Prufrock fails to became a hero in his own life, he turns to a wasteful life and isolation. Prufrock refuses to speak this "overwhelming question" so he cannot live a life with happiness. This represents the Guido in himself.

At the beginning of Eliot's poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", there is an epigraph from Dante's Inferno, Canto 27. This shows deep imagery and a better understanding of Eliot's poem. Not only does Dante represent the antithesis of Prufrock, but he also represents the ideal person that Prufrock hopes to be. Through Prufrock's words and conditions, Guido da Montefeltro represents his state of isolation and wastefulness. With these connections, this helps the reader better understand Prufrock's internal feelings. Dante represents the heroics ideal that Prufrock strives for and fails to become. Prufrock has a speech prepared that he agonizes over throughtout the poem, saying, "Do I dare? and Do I dare? / ...Do I dare / Disturb the universe?" He says this with no confidence and convinces himself that he has plenty of time to say his line. Then he goes on to think about how he should begin his line, or if he should.

After reading some of Eliot's work, I've decided to look into what influenced him to write. He went to Harvard in 1906. There, he was influenced by the anti-Romanticism of Irving Babbitt and the philosophical interests of George Santayana. Eliot was also influenced by the study of Renaissance literature and South Asian religions. He wrote his Harvard dissertation on an English idealist philosopher who emphasized on the nature of individual experience. He also studied Greek philosophy at Oxford, taught school in London, and had a position with Lloyd's Bank. In 1915, he married a woman that had poor emotional and physical health and it did not work out. This led to worry and distress and he went to recuperate in a Swiss Sanitorium. Later, Eliot left his wife and remarried to his secretary, Valerie Fletcher.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Stephen Greenblatt, General Editor, 2006.
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I've decided to focus and analyze Eliot's poem 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.' Of all of his poems, this is the poem that catches my interest the most. Eliot's rhyme scheme in this poem is different but not at all random. I realized that reading this piece out loud helps the ryhme to become more obvious. As a modernist writer, Eliot wanted to show the psychological state of humanity. During this time writers wanted to show that society was fractured and people were alienated. Eliot did this through his work by showing that Prufrock was questioning his decisions and could never decide anything for himself. Throughout the poem he sat off by himself, and thought about the possibilities. But he never followed through with any thoughts. This idea that writers tried to get across in the early 1900s is still somewhat in our lives today. Many people are open and love being with eachother. But at the same time, there are still those loners who are afraid to commit to anything.

Eliot was very serious about his playwrights. His interest in drama has shown since the beginning of his career. Many things including his poem, The Waste Land, show the 'dramatic character of his imaginaton.' Eliot wanted to understand the technique of theatre so well that he could forget about it. He said, "I always feel it's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them." I think what he means by this is that he wanted to perfect the rules and everything he did concerning the theatre. He wanted to make sure everything was done right and that things felt natural in his playwrights. Eliot said that if there wasn't another war in 1939, then he would have tried to begin another play. He is thankful he didn't do this because he would have been rushing it. Instead, Eliot wrote poems concering the war during that time. This interests me because from what I've been reading, Eliot's plays were very well constructed. I don't fully understand why he didn't want to write plays anymore during that time if he was successful with them.

Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2005. 7 April 2012.