One possible significance of the line “To have squeezed the universe into a ball” from T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” is that it is very possibly an allusion (or reference) to a much earlier work of literature, Andrew Marvell’s “To his Coy Mistress.”
What does to have squeezed the universe into a ball mean?
And so he asks himself whether it would’ve been worth it “to have squeezed the universe into a ball / To roll it towards some overwhelming question .” This is his way of trying to console himself, to convince himself that perhaps it might not have been such a good idea to face his fears and have sex with a woman after ...
What is Prufrock trying to say?
Prufrock intends to ask ‘an overwhelming question’ but leads astray the passage along the way, seemingly getting sidetracked. He intends to say something he ultimately does not ever say. He is insecure, so he justifies his lack of actions by saying his life is commensurable.
What does Prufrock mean do I dare disturb the universe?
The phrase in the poem can be understood as rather humorous, for all the speaker intends to do is ask a woman a question, and that surely would not “disturb the universe .” The point is that often we think our actions are greater than they are, which makes us afraid to do anything at all, to take any risks in life.
What is Prufrock thinking of at the end of the poem?
2- At the end of the poem, Prufrock looks like he identifies his self more with mermaids than with real people . We can see this in the use of the pronoun “we” when speak of the mermaids.
Would it have been worth it after all?
And would it have been worth it, after all, After the cups, the marmalade, the tea, Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me, Would it have been worth while, To have bitten off the matter with a smile, To have squeezed the universe into a ball To roll it toward some overwhelming question, To say: “I am ...
What does I am Lazarus come from the dead mean?
The lines, “To say: “I am Lazarus, come from the dead, / Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all — ” allude to Bible. Lazarus is a figure in the Bible who came back from the dead [2]. This relates to Prufrock as he feels dead. ... He is more akin to Polonius, another allusion to Hamlet.
What seems to be the overwhelming question that Prufrock is afraid to ask?
This relates to the “overwhelming question” because Prufrock is going to, like Guido, reveal his secrets to us, thinking it is safe to do so. The overwhelming question is, on one level, the question he is debating , which appears to be whether to propose marriage to the woman going with him to the party.
What is Prufrock afraid of?
Prufrock’s anxiety about his own baldness , and also about the feebleness of his body, can be related to his obsessive fear regarding aging and death. ... Through this passage, Eliot again displays Prufrock’s self-consciousness and fear as he nears the end of his life.
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.
What does I have measured out my life with coffee spoons mean?
Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. ... When Prufrock says, in the poem’s seventh stanza, “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” what he means is that his life has always been carefully controlled and predictable— in other words, measured.
How does Prufrock describe himself?
Prufrock compares himself to a helpless insect that will be “pinned and wriggling on the wall” while the “eyes” around him inspect and judge him. He feels undesirable and vulnerable, and so he believes that he will be deemed unsatisfactory by society.
Who said Do I dare disturb the universe?
“Do I dare disturb the Universe?” – Remembering T.S. Eliot on his 128th birthday.
Who is 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.
Why is Prufrock called a love song?
Alfred Prufrock” a love song? “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” while not adhering to the traditional idea of a love song, still qualifies as one because it describes the longing of the speaker for his beloved.
What is the main idea of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?
The main theme of the poem is modern man’s mental restlessness, tension and indecisiveness : conflict between passion and cowardice; his irresolution and frustration; a man of timidity but full of passion.
