Portrait

The initial conclusion one can draw from the critique of modern culture by both Kafka and Eliot in their portrayals of modern man is that it is them placed in these settings and their literature is simply an outlet for said critique. The modernist sentiments expressed in their works were, in part, universally held opinions amongst literary contemporaries of theirs and as such were not only a veritable representation of them coming to grips with the reality of the world around them, but also of…

An Explication of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” by T.S. Elliot, is a poem about a man’s psychological state of mind as he is walking through town on his way to visit a woman to ask her an important question. Instead of focusing on the woman and what he wants to ask her, he focuses on what others think of him and how he is not good enough for her. Prufrock gets himself all worked up about his physical and mental inadequacies and ends up not…

Recurring images of time, romantic disillusionment and memory reveal the inherent tension between the actual and the possible in Eliot’s poetry. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock dismantles idealistic romanticism and exposes the pessimistic perspective on life, love and time that is central to modernism. At the time of writing, in 1911, Eliot was twenty two years old, and was battling with a lack of lyrical inspiration. For this reason, critics have argued that Prufrock 's romantic hesitations…

No two men are exactly alike, not even identical twins. Some attributes, appearance, and ideology may mirror, but no two men are alike. Differences in how the world is perceived will allow these individual to stand together, but appear far apart. The modernist method of writing allows for individuals to do exactly that, stand together but appear to be far. Writers Ernest Hemingway and T.S. Eliot demonstrated such disassociation in living deliberately in time and place of Nick and J. Alfred…

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a narrative poem by T.S Elliot. It portrays the puzzling and obscure phrenic conceptions of the protagonist, Prufrock, as he guides the reader to what appears to be a peregrination. Throughout the poem’s irregular timeline, an alienated Prufrock repeatedly insists that there is something important he needs to tell the reader, but he continually states that he has time. The poem’s title insinuates that Prufrock is addressing someone he admires, or loves,…

In “The Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot, there seems to be a story that could fall under the classification of Modernism. Modernism was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and it involves negative and dark tone with a little bright light of hope hidden. Modernism started due to too many inventions during such a short time. There was a feeling that after these inventions, many cultural values will disappear and it will bring an enormous change in the society. In this poem, Prufrock…

William Wordsworth’s poem: ’Composed on the Westminster Bridge’ is a sonnet that describes London in the morning as the city is still asleep. The poem’s title: “composed on the Westminster Bridge” tells the reader that the Author is standing on the Westminster Bridge, in London and is describing the sights of the City that he can see from the Bridge. Wordsworth is fascinated by the city’s beauty. He says that the earth has nothing equal to show than this beautiful scene and that the one who…

T.S. Eliot was a creative modernist poet in the early 1900s. One of his most popular writings, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, tells a story with deep imagery, symbolism, and personification. His style of writing lends the reader to reflect a sometimes obscure mental image. Upon analyzation, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” explores the world of a seemingly lost and confused well educated man. Looking to build the courage of talking to a woman, Prufrock skulks away from such…

The seafarer is an old Anglo Saxon poem. This poem is told through the perspective of a man who is constantly traveling. The speaker seems to be in despair whenever he travels because he’d rather find a place for himself. He then goes on tangent about Fate and Faith. The tone of this poem is somber. His imagery is used to express his loneliness. For example, he foretells his experience by, “How the sea took me, swept me back, and forth in sorrow and fear and pain, showed me suffering in a…

The poem “The Song Love of J. Alfred Prufrock” is written by T.S. Eliot in 1939. During this time period, the “late Victorian culture forbade the public expression of feeling” (McNamara 359). Eliot defies such principles and writes poems that contribute to the new era of poetry, the Modern Era. Eliot utilizes every aspect of the poem to exploit the hypocrisy of the people during the Victorian Era. Eliot develops this poem to expose the frustrations of the modern individual and the hypocrisies…