The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock Analysis Essay

In the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot, I found it easy to relate to the author’s feelings of inadequacy. The narrator was constantly bringing up other famous artists and comparing himself to them, only to inevitably fall short of his own expectations. Eliot exemplified it best through the repeated line “In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michelangelo”. The narrator brings up the famous and very talented artist Michelangelo, who is still talked about by the women in the room. He mentions Michelangelo as a means of comparing himself to the artist, eliciting a feeling of inadequacy in both himself and the reader. He essentially questions his ability as a creator, and whether or not he is as or ever will
Eliot brings the concept of aging up when he writes “I grow old… I grow old…”. He realizes how much time has passed for him, and how much he’s aged without realizing it. The tone of the writing implies both a sense of acceptance and panic over it; panicking at how quickly it has passed but accepting that it is inevitable and has already happened. The combination of feeling inadequate with one’s with the helplessness of passing time was best shown when Eliot wrote “And would it have been worth it, after all,/ After the cups, the marmalade, the tea”. He questions whether or not his work and the time spent making it will be worth while; if his art had any meaning or purpose after “the cups, the marmalade, the tea”, or after time passes and he is gone. He encapsulated the widespread fear that humans have of running out of time, without accomplishing your goals, leaving legacy or being as good as the ones who came before. As a student going into university, my life is surrounded by those who are hounding me about how high school is almost over, and what type of impact I’ll leave on Centennial, I believe Eliot describes this panicked yet resigned feeling