Browning's highly individualized style and his usage of dramatic monologue fascinate modern

scholars as much as these elements troubled his early critics. John Woolford and Daniel Karlin
demonstrate that in using the dramatic monologue format, Browning was primarily interested in
the creation and development of dramatic speakers and dramatic situations. The two critics also
analyze Browning's style, finding that his poetry, in its focus on the speaker, insists on being read
aloud.

Woolford and Karlin further argue that Browning develops two distinct voices in his poetry,
voices Browning himself described as "saying" and "singing" voices and which the critics
contend result from the influence of the Romantics on Browning's work. In a separate essay,
Daniel Karlin examines Browning's use of binary oppositions, finding that "every Browning
poem is oppositional in nature." Karlin studies in particular the opposition between love and
hate, maintaining that Browning explores hate not simply as the opposite of love, but as a force
with its own purpose, a force which can lead to love as well as self-realization.

As a chronicler of "the incidents in the development of a soul," Robert Browning often allowed a
speaker's own words to reveal, and condemn, his or her own behavior. The Duke's monologue in
"My Last Duchess" unveils his persona as courteous, cultured, and terrifying, as he describes a
portrait of his late wife in stark detail

Robert Browning’s poem “My last Duchess'; is spoken from the perspective of the Duke and
conveys the Dukes personality through the literary form of a dramatic monologue. It involves a
fictional account of the Duke addressing an envoy from the Count to talk of details for the
hopeful marriage to the Count’s daughter. The subtitle of this monologue is “Ferrara,'; which
suggests an historical reference to Alfonso II, the fifth Duke of Ferrara in Italy in the mid-
sixteenth century. The objective of the Duke is to attempt to sway the envoy’s opinion of himself
to obtain the maximum dowry possible in pursuit of this marriage.

Critical Analysis
To make the most out of this poem it is important that each company
member has a full knowledge of not only what it is about but also of the
themes and imagery within it. Trying my best not to put my English
Literature head on too much, a succinct critical analysis of the poem is
important.

Although the poem’s title, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, connotes that
it is one about love, it can be argued that this is not the case. The overall
message is one of Prufrock’s disappointments in society; we gather that he
feels it is bleak and monotonous. This is a clear theme that runs throughout,
and so maybe this emptiness is something we could convey physically as a
part of our performance.

Another concept the poem explores is Prufrock’s relationship with other

people, in particular the opposite sex. Eliot has used a very nervous,
introverted character as a focus and tool for the story, and this
characterisation paired with the vacancy of his outlook on life provides a
useful and versatile basis for our piece.

The epigraph comes from Dante’s Inferno and it could be said that this was
put in place by Eliot to make the reader question “who they are” and what is
good. It also gives the poem miserable and negative foundations; a feeling
of mystery.

Eliot’s opening stanza is bleak and seedy, the description of the “half-
deserted streets” and “sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells” reflecting
Prufrock’s views on the place. He is snappy and seems on edge, which
makes the reader feel a sense of danger and concern; the poem is not what
they had expected (“Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”) However, there is the
illusion of the reader being taken on a journey with “Let us go then, you and
I” and this close reader-persona relationship could be echoed in an
audience-actor relationship. There are many instances within the poem
where Prufrock seems to ask himself questions, like an internal monologue
that the audience is spying on.

Prufrock’s disagreement and disappointment with his surroundings is

reiterated by later stanzas and images. For example, “yellow fog” makes the
reader feel dirty and “time to murder and create” builds an extremely
uninviting image and situation. Throughout, the reader is made to feel
uneasy and this is something we could try and inflict upon our audience.

In my opinion the poem is rather humorous at times, despite its bleak

nature, and lines such as “Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a
peach?” have a bittersweet tone. They are seemingly light-hearted
comments but the reality of it is Prufrock’s regret at wasting life away and
growing old. Towards the end of the poem he makes many comments about
the physical troubles of ageing – “With a bald spot in the middle of my hair –
(They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin!’)” – which suggests his
character is one that cares an immense amount about what other people
think of him. He is insecure. Maybe insecurity and the fear of growing old,
which we worked on a little during the study of Chekhov’s Three Sisters, is
an aspect the company could include in the piece.
Prufrock’s stilted relationship with the woman he loves becomes even more
apparent at the end of the poem, as he desperately tries to tell her of his
adoration but doesn’t have the courage or confidence. “No! I am not prince
Hamlet” is an exclamation of regret and confusion and it is a sad and
melancholic conclusion.

He ends up weary on a beach, alone and an old man. The beach location
reflects not only his being physically alone, but also psychologically, as he
lost everything he could have had due to the fear of rejection and is now lost
in his own mind. Eliot creates a terribly sad and reflective tone on Prufrock’s
hearing the mermaids: “I do not think they will sing to me.”  The line stands
alone, just as Prufrock does, and it could be seen as his final surrender to
acceptance of his life being over and wasted.

Prufrock’s sadness is something that all humans can relate to, but on
varying scales. We all have moments in our lives where we miss out on
pursuing our desires and dreams due to fear of rejection from individuals
and/or society. In the end, one could interpret the message of The Love
Song of J. Alfred Prufrock to be about the importance of living in the
moment, and making the most out of our lives on earth.

There is a plethora of aspects of this poem that could inspire our piece, and
this analysis has helped me better understand it as a whole. 
Posted by Milly Roberts at 05:06 

On The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

In The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, T. S. Eliot reveals the thoughts and feelings
of the poem’s subject, Prufrock, in a way that Prufrock could not have articulated
himself, since it is the poem’s objective to illustrate Prufrock’s insecurity. By not
commenting directly and allowing the reader to draw conclusions from clues given
in dramatic monologue, Eliot adds meaning and rewards the reader. His use of an
epigraph heightens the reward and demonstrates that J. Alfred Prufrock cannot
speak in life as he does in the poem. Through use of these techniques, Eliot creates a
poem that is both subtle and effective at generalizing the insecurity of Prufrock.
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, gives the reader subtle hints about its meaning.
The first of these comes in the epigraph from Dante’s Inferno: 

S’io dredesse che mia reposta fosse

A persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma perciocche giammai di questo fondo
Non torno vivo alcun, s’I’odo il vero,
Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo. (27.61-
66)

This is roughly translated to mean that if the speaker knew his words would be
taken outside of Hades, he would not have told his story. Since he knows that Dante
will not leave, he relates his secrets--known only to the dead. Without the rest of the
poem as context, this quote means little, if anything, but it is the device that Eliot
chooses to deliver a clue to his readers. 

The information may seem irrelevant until it is placed in the context of the entire
poem, but by comparing his poem to the story told to Dante, Eliot warns the reader
that this is not an ordinary monologue. In this case, the epigraph reveals that
Prufrock himself could not have articulated his introspection of the poem, but this
will not be evident until an analysis of the other images Eliot uses (Norton, 2140).

The poem is set as a monologue, since the speaker refers to a listener in the opening
line as "you:" "Let us go then, you and I," (l. 1). This lets the reader know that what is
stated is being spoken to another person. Since a dramatic monologue typically
reveals character traits that the speaker is unaware of, Eliot uses this to give the
reader a clue about how to read his poem.

Eliot sets a scene that is identified by the recurring phrase, "In the room the women
come and go / Talking of Michelangelo" (ll. 13-14). This probably places the scene at
a social event, perhaps a tea party, and Eliot’s use of the "Michelangelo" reference,
hints that this is an occasion for academics and their trivial discussions of famous
artists. J. Alfred Prufrock is probably a student in this setting, but even if he is not,
the setting remains one of light sophistication. Slowly, Eliot gives small amounts of
information about the character of J. Alfred Prufrock:

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!”) (ll. 37-40)

These lines depict a man with an overwhelming fear and insecurity about his
situation, as Prufrock delivers a clue to this in each line. He convinces himself that
there is time, so there is no need to rush into action. He asks if he can dare, and then
has second thoughts and plans to "turn back" and leave the party. He is concerned
with a bald spot and what people will say about it. He desires something very
much, yet he is afraid to act. Eliot is not content with simply portraying a man who
is insecure, instead, he uses the character’s own recollections and melancholy to
deepen his meaning, "For I have known them all already, known them all— / Have
known the evenings, mornings, afternoons." Eliot shows further how the speaker
convinces himself not to act, although it is unclear in this section of the poem what
he wishes not to act on. The speaker is tormented by his neurotic insecurity, and he
describes it in more detail in the successive lines.

If J. Alfred Prufrock was actually able to identify and articulate all of the feelings he
demonstrates in the poem, he would most likely have been more confident and
secure in himself. He then would not feel as insecure and would not need to write
the poem. This is the paradox which is explained by the epigraph.

The epigraph from Inferno is what Eliot uses to show the reader that the poem is
spoken, not as Prufrock would, but as what Prufrock would say if he were come
back from another place, like Dante. This is a place where he could understand his
insecurity and relate it in poetic form. While the speaker from Inferno has come back
from Hades, Eliot does not make it clear where Prufrock is speaking from, but he is
distanced, nevertheless, from the scene. The melancholy reflections in the poem are
more like what an aged man would say in reflection of his youth, yet the speaker is
apparently a young person who goes to academic tea parties with women who
speak of Michelangelo. He is uncomfortable because he wishes to talk to them:

And I have known the arms already,

known them all—
Arms that are braceleted and white and
bare
(But in the lamplight, downed with light
brown hair!)
Is it perfume from a dress
That makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap
about a shawl.
And should I then presume?
And how should I begin? (ll. 62-69)

This is what is troubling to Prufrock. He is afraid to speak to the women he sees

because he feels that he will not speak well enough to have them interested in him,
and his insecurity will not allow him to overcome this shyness. The women are
young, as the references to "White" and "bare" indicate, and they are attractive to
Prufrock. He is taken by their appearance, and it seems that he has had this problem
before, since he has "known them already."

What is odd about Prufrock is that, while he is impotent to act because he cannot
begin to speak, he states what he feels about himself in an eloquent and poetic
manner, worthy of any social setting, and probably enough to garner the interest of
the women:

And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so

peacefully!
Smoothed by long fingers,
 Asleep . . . tired . . . or it malingers,
Stretched on the floor, here beside you
and me. (ll.75-78)

The flow and beauty of these lines demonstrates that Prufrock is capable of speaking
about love in poetic style, so he should not be insecure. Again, it Is the
understanding that Prufrock is speaking as though he were come back from another
place, like Dante, that allows him to reveal his emotions in such heightened
language. Prufrock has skill with language throughout the poem, but it is not
Prufrock in the setting that is relating the scene. It is not the Prufrock of the scene
that can quote from Marvell and Shakespeare; instead, it is the Prufrock of another
place that is speaking in the poem. All this is given by Eliot's use of a passage by
Dante, but without the context of the poem as a whole, looked back on, as it were,
the epigraph makes little sense and seems out of place. When taken in retrospect, the
reference to Dante is not only appropriate, but it explains how a character as
insecure and inarticulate as Prufrock can say exactly what he means in the poem
(through the poet), but not in the scene in the poem.

Eliot draws, perhaps, on his own experiences to write The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock, but he extrapolates his sensations into the neurotic Prufrock, his alter ego.
Since a poem spoken by Prufrock might have been unimaginative, Eliot chooses the
device of a dramatic monologue to make his observations of the human condition.
His use of the epigraph works well with the monologue to allow Eliot to write in the
first person, and the technique keeps the poem fresh, even after several readings. It
is more rewarding for a reader to make sense of a difficult poem, or a poem that
makes its point in a very subtle manner, than it is to simply state an observation in
plain language. Eliot makes a simple observation and keeps the reader interested by
using unusual techniques that are both subtle and effective.

Internal Anxieties and Conflicts in "The LOVE SONG of

J. ALFRED PRUFROCK"
AUTHOR(S)

Sistani, Roohollah Reesi

 PUB. DATE

December 2010

SOURCE

European Journal of Social Sciences;Dec2010, Vol. 17 Issue 4, p478

SOURCE TYPE

Academic Journal

DOC. TYPE

Article

ABSTRACT

This study uses the object relations theory to investigate how the male protagonist in "The
Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is faced with internal anxieties and conflicts. Analyzing
Eliot's selected poem through the lens of the synthesized concepts of Klein (1975a,b) and
Winnicott (1990a.b), this article concentrates on the male character's anxieties and
disabilities in unifying his emotional relationships (good and bad, love and hate feelings)
with the female characters. In this study, the male character's internal anxieties and conflicts
are traced and related to his early inability in experiencing a well introjection of his primal
loved object (mother). This study presents a reading which attempts to explain why the
male character constantly fails to successfully establish satisfactory relationships with the
female characters. Instead of directly applying psychoanalysis, this study identifies the
behavioral patterns and symptoms of this frustrated male character and seeks to find the
causes within the psychoanalytic framework using object relation theory. The article
concludes that the male character's anxieties and conflicts all the results of a past
unsatisfactory mothering situation during his childhood. Hence, the male character, strives
perpetually to relinquish and abandon the female characters and his whole life is an endless
search for his idealized loved object.

 Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay - Critical

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“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is in part a satire. Its character is not the hero of romance
but an antihero, one constrained by fear. He spends much of the poem contemplating what to him
is to be a daring act, but is in fact only the effort to talk to women at a social event. The very
name Prufrock is suggestive; the first syllable suggests the word “prude” without the final
consonant, while a “frock” is a garment that would have been considered overly formal by young
people of Eliot’s generation.

The urban setting for the poem is itself also the object of satire. The sunset at the beginning of
the evening is not inspiring but instead is dormant, “like a patient etherized upon a table.” The
streets through which the two will pass is full of cheap, sordid hotels and filthy restaurants. The
twentieth century city is not a place of dreams.

The description of the social event suggests something shallow and superficial, where people
show off their knowledge of art. The only details given are the women’s bare arms and long
dresses, talk of Michelangelo and perhaps unnamed novels, and refreshments. Prufrock is
vaguely aware of the contrast between the superficial, perhaps privileged world he is about to
enter and the bleak, urban landscape outside: In the former, people have the leisure for
superficial talk, while in the latter, “lonely men in shirtsleeves” are perhaps tired from work.
Prufrock is too self-centered, too concerned with how he might impress the women he will see,
to reflect on the desperation of the “muttering retreats”; the “yellow smoke” (clearly smog)
might well be toxic to many, but to Prufrock it is vaguely something like a friendly cat.

Prufrock exaggerates his dilemma. He wishes to speak to women, he is vaguely attracted to them
sexually, but he is afraid. This might be a “crisis” for a young man looking for a prom date, but
Prufrock is old enough to have a bald spot in his hair and to fear growing “old.” Part of the
poem’s irony comes from its allusions to the poetic and literary traditions that Eliot knows. The
preface from Dante’s Inferno quotes a false counselor in Hell who will tell his crime only to
those he thinks will keep it a secret. Prufrock, too, would not want his story known—he wants to
create “a face to meet the faces that you meet”—but what he has to hide is trivial. A topic he
might raise in conversation is an “overwhelming question.”

Prufrock momentarily compares himself to John the Baptist, the prophet who announces the
good news of Christ’s coming and who is finally killed, with his head brought on a platter. Later,
he compares himself to Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Christ. He also briefly thinks
of Hamlet, whose “overwhelming question” involves taking the word of what seems to be his
father’s ghost and avenging his murder by killing a king. Prufrock realizes that the best he can do
in Shakespeare’s play is to be Polonius, who talks too much, annoys everyone, and is finally
killed by accident when he is eavesdropping on Hamlet and his mother.

In the final lines of the poem, Prufrock is tempted to compare himself to Ulysses, since the
mermaids “singing each to each” suggest the sirens Ulysses hears in Homer’s Odyssey (c.
725 b.c.e.; English translation, 1614), but he quickly reflects that “I do not think that they will
sing to me.”