“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” by T.S. Elliot

In the poem “The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (The Love Song), Elliot uses a dramatic monologue. The poem reads as Prufrock’s soliloquy. It is a poem about isolation from the modern world of one man. This isolation is demonstrated through imagery of the sea. Elliot also uses refrains “In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michael Angelo.” These refrains bring the reader back to Prufrock’s continual battle of isolation. Prufrock sees himself as a man of superiority, but soon discovers that this is not true. Elliot makes reference to Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” “No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was I meant to be;” (line 111) this line shows that Prufrock believe himself to be of hero status, but not quite as superior as Hamlet was. In the last seven stanza’s Elliot introduces the romantic period by referring to Hamlet, but only uses this reference to build his anti-romantic outlook. The last line in the poem “The Love Song…” says “Till human voices wake us, and we drown” (line 131). This line is the most powerful line, because the world that Prufrock lives in will eventually be shattered, and his isolated existence will be taken with it.