Reading Questions – “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
1. Read the translation of the quotation in Italian from Dante's Inferno that serves as
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epigraph, and return to it once you have finished the whole poem. Why do you suppose T.S.
Eliot wants to begin the poem this way? How is the damned soul speaking his secrets from
the flames of hell in a similar situation to J. Alfred Prufrock? How is the audience of that
damned soul (Dante's persona) in a similar situation to the audience listening to J. Alfred
Prufrock's frantic confessions?
a. The audience of Dante’s persona is in a similar situation to the audience listening to
J. Alfred Prufrock’s frantic confessions because Dante’s persona asks Guido a
question about his life story and Guido refuses to answer because “...from this depth
none ever returned…”. I believe this means not only that because they’re down so
deep in Hell there’s no way they could come back to life, but I believe it means that
because they’ve fallen so deep in their ways, why should Guido talk about his life
story to deaf ears? Similarly to J. Alfred Prufrock’s frantic confessions, he starts
questioning himself and the universe and whether or not to follow suit or step out of
the path he feels has been made for him. I believe J. Alfred Prufrock experiences a
larger struggle of whether or not to change his ways or maintain them, whereas the
decision has already been made in Dante’s Inferno.
2. In the opening line, the speaker states, "Let us go then, you and I." Who is the you here?
(Several possibilities here).
a. The “you” in this line could refer to the reader or perhaps someone the narrator is
talking to, but I believe the “you” in this line could be referring back to himself. The
speaker could be saying these things to himself, remembering things and wondering
whether or not to change them or to just live by them.
3. The speaker (Prufrock) compares the sunset to a "patient etherised upon a table." Why do
you suppose Prufrock would compare a sunset to some hospital patient who has been
anesthetized and is waiting for an operation?
a. I feel as though Prufrock compares these to ideas to describe how mesmerizing the
sunset is; how the world and all its wonders are out of his control, much like how the
hospital patient has no control and leaves his life in the hands of doctors -- the
sunset and the world is in the hands of a higher being.
4. The speaker refers to the surrounding cityscape as having "one-night cheap hotels" and
"sawdust restaurants." What is this part of town like, apparently?
a. This part of town is rundown, in the shambles and not as prominent as other parts
of town.
5. In the second stanza, we have two lines that are disjointed from the earlier stanza. Here,
Prufrock's mind appears to flash to a different location, where the "women come and go /
Talking of Michelangelo." Who was Michelangelo? If the women are spending all their time
talking about high Renaissance art, how must their situation and their location be different
from Prufrock's current place of wandering?
a. These women could be identified from two ways of life: very prominent, or very
lowly. In the prominent aspect, they could be literally talking about Michelangelo
and other aspects of high society. They could live wealthy lives and surround
themselves with rich things -- maintaining a social aspect as well. Alternatively, the
two women could be identified as lowly -- as prostitutes or something similar to
that, talking about Michelangelo in a sense that Michelangelo could be any number
of potential men they’ve seen or taken to bed. In both ways, women share
similarities to Prufrock; however, in his situation I think the latter example of
women are similar in that they’re trying to provide for themselves, whereas the firs
example of women already have their life made [Show Less]