What Are The Two Allusions In The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

The Lovesong Of J Alfred Prufrock Allusions Essay


Hamlet, To His Coy Mistress, and The Bible

are a few notable sources that Eliot alludes to within the poem. Eliot particularly favored the poet Andrew Marvell, the renowned author of To His Coy Mistress.

Which is an example of an allusion from The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock?

For example, Prufrock was

compared to John the Baptist, Lazarus and Hamlet

. These allusions displays Prufrock’s intense self-depreciation. The following lines “Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter, / I am no prophet — and here’s no great matter;” alludes to the Bible.

What does this allusion reveal about Prufrock?

In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” the speaker uses the allusion to

Lazarus to show that he too possesses great knowledge which he can share if only the world will listen to him

.

Who does Eliot allude to in The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock?

Eliot alludes directly and indirectly to different lines from

Andrew Marvell’s

poem “To His Coy Mistress” such as: There will be time (“Had we but world enough and time) To have squeezed the universe into a ball (“Let us roll all our strength and all/ Our sweetness up into one ball”)

What are two allusions in The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock?

The Lovesong Of J Alfred Prufrock Allusions Essay


Hamlet, To His Coy Mistress, and The Bible

are a few notable sources that Eliot alludes to within the poem. Eliot particularly favored the poet Andrew Marvell, the renowned author of To His Coy Mistress.

What is Prufrock afraid of?

Prufrock is afraid of

death, rejection, judgment, and growing old alone

. He is aware of the passing of time, of his difficulties in forging connections with other people, particularly women, and of his inability to “say just what [he] mean[s].”

What is the yellow smoke in Prufrock?

The “yellow fog” and “yellow smoke” are

animated representations of the smog

that could be found in such industrial areas. While Prufrock may be literally describing the environmental conditions of a modern city, the yellow fog also functions on a symbolic level. In a sense, the yellow fog symbolizes Prufrock himself.

Why does Prufrock talk about Michelangelo?

Prufrock

suffers from his fear of rejection

. … This fear was illustrated using the lines “In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo”. This allusion to Michelangelo shows that the women in the poem are well-cultured.

Should I put tea and cakes after ices?

Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?

Why does Prufrock compare himself to Lazarus?

Prufrock compares himself to Lazarus in line 94,

as part of an imaginary conversation with a woman he cannot adequately communicate his thoughts to

. … Leaving his mental universe does not mean coming back to life, it means dying; at the end of Prufrock he drowns.

Who are you and I in the first line of Prufrock?

The “you” in this poem is ambiguous. It could be another person Prufrock is

speaking to with whom he is going to the party

. He could be talking to himself. … Eliot establishes with this opening line the idea that Prufrock is addressing or talking to someone who never answers back.

What does Etherized upon a table mean?

The imagery of this invitation begins with a startling simile, “Let us go then you and I/ When the evening is spread out against the sky/ Like a patient etherised upon a table.” This simile literally

describes the evening sky, but functions on another level

.

What literary device is most clearly used in this passage I am Lazarus?

The rhetorical device in the phrase “I am Lazarus, come from the dead” in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is

allusion

. An allusion is a reference to another work or a historical event, place, object, or person.

Why is Prufrock afraid to eat a peach?

J. Alfred Prufrock is afraid to eat a peach

because he is afraid of ridicule and afraid of women

, or at least of their judgment and rejection. Daring to eat a messy peach is symbolic of everything Prufrock is afraid to do for fear of what other people might think.

Who is the you in Prufrock?

Here Prufrock seems to be alone and talking to himself. Later the “you” is

the woman he wants to seduce

, possibly propose to. Line 14: The great Italian sculptor and painter (1475 – 1564). His accomplishments and the women’s interest in him shake Prufrock’s already fragile self-confidence.

How does Prufrock feel about himself?

Alfred Prufrock,” Prufrock feels

unconfident and self-conscious He is lonely, aging, and balding

, and his apparent desire to connect with others, especially women, remains unrealized.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.