The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The Love Song of “J. Alfred Prufrock” -T.
S Eliot
SEMESTER 4
SEMESTER 5
DSC 13 (20TH CENTURY
POETRY & DRAMA)
THE LOVE SONG OF
J. ALFRED PRUFROCK
BY
T.S ELIOT
Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

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The Love Song of “J. Alfred Prufrock” -T.S Eliot
Eliot is considered one of the most influential poets of the 20th

century.
Eliot's poetry is known for its innovative use of language, form,
and imagery.
"The Waste Land" is often cited as his most famous work,
reflecting disillusionment and fragmentation in post-World War I
society. His essays, such as "Tradition and the Individual Talent,"
shaped discussions on literary theory and criticism, emphasizing
the importance of tradition and continuity in artistic creation.
Themes in his works often include existentialism, alienation,
spiritual crisis, and the search for identity
T.S. Eliot received numerous awards during his lifetime, including
the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948.

2|Page
S’io credesse che mia risposta

fosse ("If I thought that my reply
were made)
A persona che mai tornasse al
mondo, (to one who could ever
return to the world,)
Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. (this flame would stand
still without moving any further.)
Ma percioche giammai di questo fondo (But since never from this
abyss)
Non torno vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero, (did anyone ever return alive,
if what I hear is true,)
Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo (without fear of infamy I answer
you.")
These lines are from Dante Alighieri's "Inferno," specifically

from Canto 27.
The epigraph in “Prufrock” is a quotation from
Dante’s Inferno in which Guido da Montefeltro,
who is being tortured, says he feels safe
revealing the truth of his horrible deeds to
Dante because he believes that Dante will
never make it out of hell to tell the rest of the world.

3|Page
This reflects Guido's belief that his confession will remain a

secret, as he assumes Dante will not return to the living world
to reveal it.
In summary, the epigraph from Dante's

"Inferno" serves as a thematic guidepost for
understanding Prufrock's internal struggles,
fears of judgment, and the overarching
existential themes present in T.S. Eliot's
poem.
Let us go then, you and I,

When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let's go together when it is nighttime. The sky will look like a

patient lying down on an operating table, ready for surgery.
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,

The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Let's walk along streets that are not very busy.

4|Page
These streets have old, cheap hotels where

people stay for just one night. There are also
restaurants that are in poor condition and
not very nice.
Streets that follow like a tedious argument

Of insidious intent
The streets go one after another, like a boring argument that

has a mean purpose.
To lead you to an overwhelming question...

Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.
The streets make you think of an important question, but

don't ask what the question is. Let's go and see for ourselves.
In the room the women come and go

Talking of Michelangelo.

5|Page
Women walk in and out of the room while

talking about Michelangelo who was a
famous Italian artist who lived during the
Renaissance. He is well-known for his
incredible sculptures, paintings, and
architecture.
The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes,
The yellow smoke touches the windows gently, like it's rubbing
its back against them. It also touches the windows with its
nose.
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,

Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains
The yellow smoke moves around the night,

as if it's licking the corners with its tongue.
It stays above the still water in the drains.
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,

6|Page
The yellow smoke moves around the night, as if it's licking the
corners with its tongue. It stays above the still water in the
drains.
And seeing that it was a soft October

night,
Curled once about the house, and fell
asleep
But because it's a chilly autumn night,

the smoke wraps itself around the
house and slowly disappears.
And indeed there will be time

For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;
Yes, there will be time to observe the

yellow smoke moving along the street,
brushing against the windows.
There will be time, there will be time

7|Page
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time, there will be time to get ready to meet

people.
There will be time to murder and create,

And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
There will be time: to murder and create -

This contrasts extreme actions—murder
(to kill someone) and create (to make
something new or do something positive)
and time for important tasks like working and solving
problems, and time for us to do what we need to do.
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,

And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
And there will be time, too, to be unsure about things, to

change my mind many times, all before afternoon tea.

8|Page
In the room the women come and go

Talking of Michelangelo
Women walk in and out of the room while talking about

Michelangelo who was a famous Italian
artist who lived during the Renaissance.
He is well-known for his incredible
sculptures, paintings, and architecture.
And indeed there will be time

To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Yes, there will be time to ask myself, "Should I take the

risk?" And again, "Should I take the risk?"
Time to turn back and descend the stair,

With a bald spot in the middle of my hair —
(They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”)
There will be time to turn around and go

back downstairs, feeling concerned about the bald spot on the
back of my head. People might say, "His hair is really thinning!"

9|Page
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,

My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin —
(They will say: “But how his arms and legs are
thin!”)
I'm dressed in my morning coat, with the

collar buttoned up to my chin. I'm wearing an
expensive but not too flashy necktie with a
simple tie clip. People might comment, "His arms and legs are
very skinny!"
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.
Am I capable and courageous enough to

make a difference in the world? Even
within a single minute, there's enough
time to make choices and take actions,
although I might find myself
reconsidering and changing my mind
shortly afterward. This reflects the uncertainty and
fluctuation in making important decisions and commitments.

10 | P a g e
For I have known them all already, known

them all:
Have known the evenings, mornings,
afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee
spoons;
I feel this way because I've already gone through everything.

I've witnessed evenings, mornings, and afternoons, and I could
gauge my life by counting the coffee spoons I've used. This
means I've lived through various times and moments, using
everyday items like coffee spoons as markers for the passage
of time and experience.
I know the voices dying with a dying fall

Beneath the music from a farther room.
So how should I presume?
I've already listened to the voices

singing in the next room. So why do I
think I have the authority or
permission to do something?

11 | P a g e
And I have known the eyes already, known them

all-
I already know how people look at me. I've seen

all the different ways people look at me.
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,

And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
People look at me and dismiss me with

common, thoughtless phrases. They stare at
me like I'm an insect pinned to a wall, unable
to move.
Then how should I begin

To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?
And how should I presume?
How should I begin to talk about my life's memories, as if I

were getting rid of the leftover ends of a cigarette? And
what gives me the right to share these memories? This means

12 | P a g e
I'm questioning how to express my past experiences and

whether I have the authority to do so.
And I have known the arms already, known them all—

Arms that are braceleted and white and bare
(But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!)
I already know what women are like. I've met

many different kinds of women. Some of them
wear lots of bracelets and have pale, smooth
skin. But when I look at their arms in the
lamplight, I can see that they actually have light brown hair on
their skin.
Is it perfume from a dress

That makes me so digress?
Is the scent of perfume from a woman's dress making me

forget what I was thinking about? This means that the smell
of the perfume is so distracting that it's causing me to lose
my focus.
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.

13 | P a g e
And should I then presume?

And how should I begin?
I'm thinking about arms resting on a table or

wrapped in a shawl. So, why do I think I have
the right to share my thoughts? And where
should I start? This means I'm wondering
why I feel I can talk about these things and
how I should even begin to express my thoughts
Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets

And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?
Should I say: I've walked through narrow streets in the

evening and seen lonely men leaning out of
their windows, smoking in their undershirts?
This means I'm considering whether I should
share that I've experienced walking alone at
night and observed lonely men smoking while
leaning out of their windows.
I should have been a pair of ragged claws

Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

14 | P a g e
I wish I had been a creature with old, worn-

out claws, crawling along the floors of the
quiet ocean. This means I feel like I should
have been a simple sea creature living in the deep, silent ocean
instead of dealing with the complexities of life.
And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!

Smoothed by long fingers,
As the day progresses towards night,

the night itself appears to sleep so
peacefully! It's like it has been gently
lulled to sleep by long, soothing strokes.
This means that as evening approaches, the calmness and
quietness of the night seem to settle in peacefully, as if
someone has tenderly comforted it to sleep.
Asleep ... tired ... or it malingers,

Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.
Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,
Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?

15 | P a g e
The night is either asleep or

tired, or perhaps it's pretending to
sleep right beside us on the floor.
After having afternoon tea, should
I still have enough energy to
disrupt this peaceful moment and create a disturbance? This
means I'm considering whether I should disturb the quietness
of the night after relaxing and having tea, potentially causing
drama or disturbance.
But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed,

Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in
upon a platter,
I am no prophet — and here’s no great matter;
I cry, I don't want to eat, and I pray. Like

John the Baptist, I've experienced
difficult times where it felt like I was
losing my identity or dignity. But despite
this, I'm not a religious messenger like
John the Baptist, and I don't have
anything very important to say. This means
I'm expressing personal struggles and doubts about my
significance or purpose, comparing myself to a biblical figure
known for sacrifice and conviction.

16 | P a g e
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,

And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid.
There was a time when I had the potential to achieve

greatness, but that opportunity has now passed
permanently. I've imagined death as a servant who
holds my coat, mocking me with laughter. To be honest,
I was afraid. This means I'm reflecting on missed
chances in life and feeling intimidated by the concept
of death, personified as a mocking figure.
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,
And would achieving greatness have

been worthwhile in the end? As we sat
together after afternoon tea,
surrounded by delicate porcelain
teacups, chatting casually. This means
I'm questioning whether pursuing
greatness would have been meaningful, reflecting on a moment
of relaxation and conversation after having tea.

17 | P a g e
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 towards some overwhelming question,
Would it have been worth it to fake a smile and bring up the

issue that's on my mind? To compress and simplify this
enormous, all-encompassing problem into a smaller, manageable
piece, like a ball, and then push it towards a question that's so
complex and significant that it's difficult to express or
grasp? This means I'm considering whether it would have been
beneficial to address a challenging issue with a forced smile,
breaking it down into smaller parts to approach a deeper,
difficult question.
To say: “I am Lazarus, come from the dead,

Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”—
This means I would proclaim myself as Lazarus,

a biblical figure who returned to life after
death, ready to reveal all that I have learned
and witnessed.

18 | P a g e
If one, settling a pillow by her head

Should say: “That is not what I meant at
all;
That is not it, at all.”
If someone, adjusting their pillow, were to say: "That's not

what I intended to say at all; that’s not what I meant, not at
all." This means if someone realizes that their words or
actions were misunderstood or not interpreted correctly, and
they clarify their true intentions.
And would it have been worth it, after all,

Would it have been worthwhile?
After the sunsets and the dooryards and
the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after
the skirts that trail along the floor—
And would pursuing greatness have been worthwhile in the

end? Considering everything I've experienced in life: the
beautiful sunsets, the quiet yards by the doors, and the
streets washed by rain. Would it have been worth it after
reading countless novels, after sharing tea with friends, and
after seeing elegant skirts brushing the floor? This means
I'm questioning whether achieving something significant would

19 | P a g e
have been meaningful, reflecting on a lifetime of experiences

and moments of beauty and leisure.
And this, and so much more?

It is impossible to say just what I mean!
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in
patterns on a screen:
Would it have been worth it—while

adjusting a pillow or removing a shawl, and turning towards the
window—to say: This means I'm considering whether it would
have been valuable or meaningful to express something
important or significant while going about simple everyday
actions, like arranging a pillow or looking out of a window.
“That is not it at all,

That is not what I meant, at all.”
"That is not it at all; That is not what

I meant, at all." This means someone is expressing that their
words or actions have been misunderstood or misinterpreted.
They are clarifying that their true intentions or thoughts
were different from how they were perceived.

20 | P a g e
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

Am an attendant lord, one that will do
To swell a progress, start a scene or two,
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
No! I'm not Prince Hamlet, and I was never meant to be him.
I'm just a minor character, a nobleman who follows the prince.
I can be used to fill the background, start a scene or two, or
give advice to the prince. Without a doubt, I'm just a simple
and easily used character. This means that I don't see myself
as a main or important figure like Prince Hamlet. Instead, I
see myself as someone who supports others, plays small roles,
and is easily directed by those in charge.
Deferential, glad to be of use,

Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
I'm obedient and content to be helpful. I'm

polite, cautious, and careful. I have a lot to say,
but what I say is often vague and unclear. This means I
willingly follow others and find satisfaction in being useful. I
am respectful and careful in my actions and words, but my
messages can be confusing or hard to understand.

21 | P a g e
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—

Almost, at times, the Fool.
Sometimes I act in a silly or foolish way—

sometimes I even seem like a clown. This means
that there are times when my behavior is so absurd that I
come across as comical or entertaining, like a clown.
I grow old ... I grow old ...

I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
I'm getting older. I'm getting older. I'll begin

folding up the bottoms of my pants. This means that
as I age, I'm noticing changes in myself, such as
starting to adjust my clothing to accommodate those changes,
like rolling up my pant legs.
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me.

22 | P a g e
Should I change where I part my hair? Am I brave enough to

eat a peach? I'll wear comfortable white pants
and take a stroll on the beach. I've heard
mythical mermaids singing to each other. This
means I'm contemplating small changes in my
appearance and actions, like trying a new
hairstyle or enjoying simple pleasures like
eating a peach and taking a walk on the beach.
Additionally, I've imagined hearing enchanting songs from
mermaids, adding a touch of fantasy to my thoughts. I don't
think those mermaids will sing to me.
I have seen them riding seaward on

the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves
blown back
When the wind blows the water white
and black.
I have watched the mermaids riding the waves out to sea.

The wind stirred up the foam on the waves, creating a pattern
of black and white in the water. This means I've observed
mythical mermaids gracefully moving through the ocean on top
of the waves. The wind has agitated the waves, causing the
foam to mix and creating a striking contrast of black and
white on the water's surface.

23 | P a g e
We have lingered in the chambers of

the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed
red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we
drown.
We have been waiting in rooms deep under the sea, beside

mermaids covered in red and brown seaweed—waiting for
human voices to awaken us, after which we will drown. This
means we've been patiently waiting in
underwater chambers alongside mermaids
adorned with seaweed. We're waiting for
human voices to rouse us from our slumber,
but once awakened, we face the risk of in
the sea.
1. Indecision and Paralysis:

 Explanation: Prufrock is constantly paralyzed by
indecision, unable to act or make choices. He overthinks
every decision, fearing he will make the wrong one.
Example: Lines like "Do I dare / Disturb the universe?" show
his hesitation and fear of taking action.
2. Social Anxiety and Insecurity:

24 | P a g e
 Explanation: Prufrock is deeply insecure about how

others perceive him. He worries about his appearance and
what people might think of him.
Example: The lines "Time to turn back and descend the stair,
/With a bald spot in the middle of my hair" highlight his self-
consciousness.
3. Isolation and Alienation:
 Explanation: Prufrock feels isolated and disconnected
from others. He struggles to connect with people and
feels alone in his thoughts.
Example: Lines such as "In the room the women come and go /
Talking of Michelangelo" suggest his detachment from the
social scene around him.
4. Time and Mortality:

 Explanation: Prufrock reflects on the passage of time
and his own mortality. He worries about running out of
time to achieve his desires.
Example: The lines "I have measured out my life with coffee
spoons" illustrate his contemplation of how time passes.
5. Urban Alienation:
 Explanation: The poem explores the alienating effects of
modern urban life on individuals like Prufrock. The
cityscape is portrayed as overwhelming and indifferent.
Example: Lines such as "streets that follow like a tedious
argument / of insidious intent" depict the oppressive and
impersonal nature of the city.

25 | P a g e

26 | P a g e

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The Love Song of “J. Alfred Prufrock” -T.

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

Eliot is considered one of the most influential poets of the 20th

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

S’io credesse che mia risposta

These lines are from Dante Alighieri's "Inferno," specifically

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

This reflects Guido's belief that his confession will remain a

In summary, the epigraph from Dante's

Let us go then, you and I,

Let's go together when it is nighttime. The sky will look like a

Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,

Let's walk along streets that are not very busy.

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

These streets have old, cheap hotels where

Streets that follow like a tedious argument

The streets go one after another, like a boring argument that

To lead you to an overwhelming question...

The streets make you think of an important question, but

In the room the women come and go

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

Women walk in and out of the room while

Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,

The yellow smoke moves around the night,

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

And seeing that it was a soft October

But because it's a chilly autumn night,

And indeed there will be time

Yes, there will be time to observe the

There will be time, there will be time

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;

There will be time, there will be time to get ready to meet

There will be time to murder and create,

There will be time: to murder and create -

And time yet for a hundred indecisions,

And there will be time, too, to be unsure about things, to

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

In the room the women come and go

Women walk in and out of the room while talking about

And indeed there will be time

Yes, there will be time to ask myself, "Should I take the

Time to turn back and descend the stair,

There will be time to turn around and go

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,

I'm dressed in my morning coat, with the

Am I capable and courageous enough to

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

For I have known them all already, known

I feel this way because I've already gone through everything.

I know the voices dying with a dying fall

I've already listened to the voices

Notes By: ENG HONS HUB

And I have known the eyes already, known them

I already know how people look at me. I've seen

The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,

People look at me and dismiss me with

Then how should I begin

How should I begin to talk about my life's memories, as if I