Let Us Go Then You And I Meaning

The title of T.S. Eliot’s “Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” implies that the ensuing poem will be a cheerful adulation of a woman or the world, and that J. Alfred Prufrock is a character who is enchanted by a romantic force and revels in it by extolling it in verse. However, it soon becomes clear that this is not the case at all. Instead, Prufrock is a disillusioned soul who dwells in self-deprecating introspection and malaise, rooted in the fact that he feels inadequate and viewed only on the surface level. His “love song” is an attempt he makes at the beginning of the poem to court a woman with an eloquent and charming façade; “Let us go then, you and I,” he says, inviting her on a walk down a suspicious city street. However, what begins …show more content…
From the title of the poem, it can be inferred that the recipient of the opening line, “Let us go then, you and I,” is a woman whom Prufrock is trying to impress; as Prufrock reveals more and more details about the poem’s setting, and the abundance of women coming and going, it becomes logical to assume that he is attempting to meet and impress a woman who would be relatively easily enchanted by a man of high class – one who would associate herself with such a sinister street. Prufrock’s “love song” is the language he uses to attempt to woo her; he exudes an aura of confidence, using the commanding phrase “let us go,” and adds on “you and I” to make sure to put her on his level and imply that she and he are fundamentally equal – compatible. He uses deeply psychological, grim imagery: “When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table.” The use of the simile of a “patient etherized,” or under anesthetic and primed for surgery, is a foreshadowing of what …show more content…
The line serves to illustrate the permanence of the works of classic artists such as Michelangelo and their ability to resonate with people on an intrinsic rather than superficial level; this is juxtaposed with the nameless women that ceaselessly pass through the room, leaving no trace of their presence and providing nothing worth noticing – only speaking of something that was and is meaningful to many people. Prufrock is contemplating the fact that there is something about the art of Michelangelo that influences people, even in Prufrock’s era. After this is where it becomes apparent that he can no longer simply let go of his lack of confidence and ceaseless desire for rumination about his perceived inadequacy. After Prufrock notices the women talking about Michelangelo, his persona begins to fade away, and he begins to build up a desire for self-contemplation. The line weaves in and out of the poem, coming and going just as the women described in it; just as the room full of impermanent women is constantly moving and changing, and just as Prufrock’s opinions about himself and the world around him change as