In the Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock, Eliot describes Prufrock and how he feels in such a magnificent way that Prufrock certainly could not do himself because of his insecurity. With a dramatic monologue, Eliot allows the reader to make his or her own conclusions to add meaning to the poem. This poem is one of the most influential poems of the twentieth century because it is not like any love poem that had been previously written. In the sense of paralysis, Eliot creates a poem that generalizes Prufrock’s insecurity.
The epigraph of Dante’s Inferno is the first hint of meaning in the poem.
By having this piece of the Inferno included we assume the poem will be dark and hellish. The Inferno basically states that the speaker would not have shared …show more content…
The main tone of the poem is that of weary, ironic self- deprecation (Mays 110). Prufrock makes many references of being old because he makes comments about going bald. He also creates the image of the grim reaper holding his coat so he can leave this terrible world he believes he lives in. He attempts to make himself feel young again, by rolling his trousers and parting his hair in a style that young people wear, but he knows that it is no use; he is growing old (Hammond 1). He fear of growing old is a major contribution to his paralysis. The paradox is explained in the epigraph. If Prufrock could actually identify his feelings and relate to them in the poem then he would have been more confident with himself. This would mean that he did not feel as insecure and might not have had to write the poem. The epigraph is also used to show that the poem is spoken, but as the way Prufrock would say it if he were going to another place, such as Dante. This other place is a safe place for Prufrock and where he could understand his insecurity in the poetic