How the "Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" Represents the Conflict of a Modern Man.

"Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" Represents the Conflict of a Modern Man

"Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" is a dramatic monologue presenting a middle aged modern man who is unable to take a decision about making the proposal of marriage to the lady he loves. In a series of stanzas the lover analyses the reason for a resolution and re-decision and tries to justify his cowardice and lack of nerves which make him completely incapable of formulating  a proposal of love to his beloved. Behind this hesitating mental condition of Prufrock we find a disease of modern routine works the aimless life of the city dwellers and the monotonous round of social parties.

Prufrock represents a man of spirit personality a separation of head and heart a paralysis of he will and too much worry  regarding a love proposal. By referring to hamlet he expresses his psychological problem, his irresolution complicated by the fact that though he is a middle aged man bald in the head he is not hot blooded. He dresses smartly smiles to ladies but he is unable to expresses his inner mind. His excuse for postponing the making of the love proposal  arises from neurosis and from his fear of rejection. The poem highlights the dilemma and indecisiveness as well as the squalor and barrenness of modern urban civilization. The triviality and barrenness of modern life find a beautiful expression in the following line:

  “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons”

Prufrock in conscious but he is conscious of nothing. He is like a patient lying etherized upon a table before operation. Having no strength left in him to act he wanders mentally through  the half  deserted left in him to act  he wanders mentally through the half deserted streets till his mind reaches the most important question before him but he is afraid  of mentioning it. His mind is in tension. It is full of hundred indecisions, ‘a hundred visions and revisions’. The problem with him is though he knows the ladies he is afraid of making a proposal  for himself. He would definitely feel embarrassed.

At one time prufrock thinks of a plan to make a proposal to his ladylove, but he feels nervous to talk about himself. He is afraid  of death and the very idea of death makes him reject his expressing  love to a lady. Prufrock takes refreshment to gather courage to make  a decision. Supposing he talked about his proposal to his lady but she might turn round  and tell him that she had no desire to marry him. That is why he feels extremely nervous.

Thus there is no progress in the love affair of prufrock. The poem ends where it began.