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ipeli11Part One: Reflection:
The title is ironic and misleading because there are no romantic or love song-like references in the poem. Eliot may have given the poem that name to illustrate that a single traditional interpretation and understanding of love doesn’t exist. Additionally, perhaps he used the name ‘Alfred Prufrock’ as an alter ego to explore his own emotions and anxieties over women. When I initially saw the title, before reading the poem, I assumed that Eliot wrote a love poem to his gay partner whose name happened to be Alfred Prufrock—however, after reading the text I realized that my assumption was wrong.
In the poem, Prufrock describes himself as “almost ridiculous—Almost, at time, the Fool”. This indicates that he’s aware that he can fulfill his personal emptiness and desires, but he is too afraid to act on what he wants—therefore, he is unable to establish a more meaningful and complete life. He’s an intellectual but admits that he is “not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be”—he is more of a modern tragic hero whose concerns don’t appear significant, yet are indeed very real and consuming. He goes on to question himself and reveal his overwhelming fears and insecurities in the following lines:
And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair
He describes the women as “mermaids singing, each to each”, but expresses that “I do not think they will sing to me”. In lines 73-74, he perhaps offers the most accurate self evaluation in the entire poem—he explains, “I should have been a pair of ragged claws…scuttling across the floors of silent seas”. That statement is a strong representation of Prufrock as his goal above everything else was self-protection. As for the setting, he describes it as “yellow smoke that slides along the street/Rubbing its back upon the window panes...seeing that it was a soft October night”. This is reflective of a smelly, gloomy, and smoky metropolis on a foggy October evening. The phrase which repeats itself several times throughout the poem is “In the room the women come and go/Talking to Michelangelo”. This exemplifies the academic importance in the poem as it places emphasis on the famous artist and women coming in and out of what could be a social event.
Part Two: Looking Ahead:
Demeter and her daughter, Persephone are among lesser-known Gods. Demeter is known as one of the twelve main Olympians and along with her daughter, is responsible for the growth and death of the earth’s vegetation. The myth of the two goddesses implies that in the beginning there was no separation of seasons, only ever ending good crops. For a long time, they were considered to be responsible for the continuing flourishment of the earth and Demeter even held the power of continuing health and happiness for man in her hands. When Persephone was abducted by the underworld, Demeter refused to nourish the earth, which threatened the existence of mankind. After her daughter’s disappearance, Demeter became depressed and wandered the earth for nine days looking for her. Zues finally decided to resolve the situation and Hades agreed to let Persephone spend two-thirds of the year with her mother—the other third would be spent as the queen of Erebus. For eight months out of the year, in her daughter’s presence, Demeter obeyed her obligations; for the other four months, while her daughter was away, she lets the earth go barren.
Some universal themes in myths are basic traditions which can be seen in language, customs, rituals, values, and morals of every culture. Another universal theme is the sacred stories which are affiliated with Gods that control the human world and the relationship between those powers and human beings. In Demeter and Perephone, the universal theme can be seen in the bond between mother and daughter and the unconditional love and loyalty which exists even before birth and lasts past death. Another common theme is the open satisfaction that Demeter feels with her daughter by her side which reflects the nourishment of the plants; however, when her daughter is separated, she gets depressed and leaves the plants to die.
The title is ironic and misleading because there are no romantic or love song-like references in the poem. Eliot may have given the poem that name to illustrate that a single traditional interpretation and understanding of love doesn’t exist. Additionally, perhaps he used the name ‘Alfred Prufrock’ as an alter ego to explore his own emotions and anxieties over women. When I initially saw the title, before reading the poem, I assumed that Eliot wrote a love poem to his gay partner whose name happened to be Alfred Prufrock—however, after reading the text I realized that my assumption was wrong.
In the poem, Prufrock describes himself as “almost ridiculous—Almost, at time, the Fool”. This indicates that he’s aware that he can fulfill his personal emptiness and desires, but he is too afraid to act on what he wants—therefore, he is unable to establish a more meaningful and complete life. He’s an intellectual but admits that he is “not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be”—he is more of a modern tragic hero whose concerns don’t appear significant, yet are indeed very real and consuming. He goes on to question himself and reveal his overwhelming fears and insecurities in the following lines:
And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair
He describes the women as “mermaids singing, each to each”, but expresses that “I do not think they will sing to me”. In lines 73-74, he perhaps offers the most accurate self evaluation in the entire poem—he explains, “I should have been a pair of ragged claws…scuttling across the floors of silent seas”. That statement is a strong representation of Prufrock as his goal above everything else was self-protection. As for the setting, he describes it as “yellow smoke that slides along the street/Rubbing its back upon the window panes...seeing that it was a soft October night”. This is reflective of a smelly, gloomy, and smoky metropolis on a foggy October evening. The phrase which repeats itself several times throughout the poem is “In the room the women come and go/Talking to Michelangelo”. This exemplifies the academic importance in the poem as it places emphasis on the famous artist and women coming in and out of what could be a social event.
Part Two: Looking Ahead:
Demeter and her daughter, Persephone are among lesser-known Gods. Demeter is known as one of the twelve main Olympians and along with her daughter, is responsible for the growth and death of the earth’s vegetation. The myth of the two goddesses implies that in the beginning there was no separation of seasons, only ever ending good crops. For a long time, they were considered to be responsible for the continuing flourishment of the earth and Demeter even held the power of continuing health and happiness for man in her hands. When Persephone was abducted by the underworld, Demeter refused to nourish the earth, which threatened the existence of mankind. After her daughter’s disappearance, Demeter became depressed and wandered the earth for nine days looking for her. Zues finally decided to resolve the situation and Hades agreed to let Persephone spend two-thirds of the year with her mother—the other third would be spent as the queen of Erebus. For eight months out of the year, in her daughter’s presence, Demeter obeyed her obligations; for the other four months, while her daughter was away, she lets the earth go barren.
Some universal themes in myths are basic traditions which can be seen in language, customs, rituals, values, and morals of every culture. Another universal theme is the sacred stories which are affiliated with Gods that control the human world and the relationship between those powers and human beings. In Demeter and Perephone, the universal theme can be seen in the bond between mother and daughter and the unconditional love and loyalty which exists even before birth and lasts past death. Another common theme is the open satisfaction that Demeter feels with her daughter by her side which reflects the nourishment of the plants; however, when her daughter is separated, she gets depressed and leaves the plants to die.
