The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: T. S. Eliot
- First Published: 1915
- Type of Work: Dramatic monologue
- Genres: Poetry, Dramatic monologue
- Subjects: Folkloric or magical people, Twentieth century, Authors or writers, Alienation, Poetry or poets, Dreams, Nightmares, Fear, City life, Human behavior, Life, philosophy of, Shakespeare, William, or Shakespearean plays, Mermaids or mermen, Allusions
The Poem
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” struck readers as an astonishingly original poem when it appeared in Harriet Monroe’s Poetry magazine in 1915. Although it belongs to an established genre—the dramatic monologue—the tone, the language, and the character of Prufrock are highly original.
The ironies of the poem begin with a title promising a “love song” from the lips of a person with a decidedly unromantic name. Still, a lover’s name should not be held against him, and the first two lines of the poem do seem to promise a graceful lyric:...
[The entire page is 1617 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
Related Topics
