t.s. eliot powerpoint

7/31/2019 T.S. Eliot Powerpoint

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The Love Song of J.

Alfred PrufrockT.S. Eliot

Lets read the poem!

Notice the poems lack of

structure, Prufrocks habit ofwasting time, and his anxiety uponentering a social gathering.


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The Love Song of J. Alfred PrufrockBy: T.S. Eliot

Prufrock wants the reader (you) to travel withhim. The reader is the silent listener.

Prufrock goes on a journey; he wishes to go to aparty to talk to women.

One major theme is Prufrocks emasculation

(loss of power and masculinity).

The journey begins in an undesirable city. Thecity is sterile, deadly, bleak, and empty. What

can this indicate?


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Prufrock is in hell! The poem represents his downwarddecent (a social death)!

Prufrock is staring in the window outside the party; he

is unable to enter the social gathering.

Michelangelo = David: very masculine

A cat is portrayed in the third stanza; Prufrock alsorepresents the cat staring from the outside. Also, catsgenerally have feminine characteristics (emasculation).

Prufrock continues his paralysis; he does not enter the

party. He makes excuses; he procrastinates.


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Prufrock worries that other people will notice hisimperfections.

Eliot incorporates silly rhyme to portray Prufrockas a child.

Time reference: evenings, mornings,afternoons.Prufrock has a disordered sense of time. Evening

to morning = plunge!

Prufrock is nervous that all eyes are staring at him.He describes himself as an insect pinned on a wall.Theres no use for the body, arms or legs; focus on

the eyes!


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Again, Prufrock cannot advance in time. He is stalling,stuttering, and anxious. Notice the use of the wordand.

Another animal reference: crabs are pathetic. They donot move forward, they move backwards.

Prufrock cannot advance; he continues his decent intohell (death)!

The next sections deal with Prufrock thinking aboutawkward conversations with women and being rejectedat the party. Would it have been worth it?

Prufrock suffers from social paralysis - -


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Prufrock is self-aware; he understands that he isnot Prince Hamlet. Another Shakespeareanreference : Fool.

Prufrock is paralyzed, but time is not. He growsolder.

He is still stalling; he is running out of time

(death).

Peach Chinese symbol for marriage andimmortality.


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The mermaids in the poem represent women whoignore Prufrock.

Water (in this instance) = death Drown = decent to hell; death

Prufrock, like the poem, is fragmented, broken, andchaotic.

Prufrock overanalyzes little things: toast, tea,clothes, hair Do I dare disturb the universe?

Prufrock never enters the party.


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Question for reflection:

Was Prufrocks journey successful? Was it a

waste?

t.s. eliot powerpoint

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