Thomas Stearns Eliot was born into a outstanding concern household He went though school and graduated from Harvard University, where he grew in his love of doctrine. After school he moved on to experiment with instruction and banking earlier make up one’s minding to prosecute a calling as an editor and publishing house. During this clip Eliot ‘s verse forms began to boom. In 1922 one of Eliot ‘s most popular plants, “ The Waste Land ” , was published, therefore set uping his topographic point as a well-known and popular poet ( Bradbrook ) .

While Eliot attended Harvard, he experienced a comfy life style. He lived in an upper category residence hall. After about acquiring vermilion febrility, Eliot journeyed to Paris for a twelvemonth. That is where Eliot became friends with the shortly to be capable of “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” , Jean Verdenal. After that, Eliot returned to Harvard to analyze and acquire caught up in literature. His following large journey was to Germany during the summer of 1914. He did n’t remain excessively long because of the oncoming war ( T.S. Eliot ‘s Life and Career ) .

In 1915, one of Eliot ‘s friends introduced him to Vivien Haigh-Wood. He rapidly fell in love with her and married her. He tried to back up his household by learning school and being an editor of a magazine, until he got a dependable occupation at Lloyds Bank measuring foreign documents. Eliot ‘s parents did non O.K. of his matrimony, but his male parent died before the bad feelings could be undone. On top of that, his married woman ‘s wellness was rapidly worsening. Eliot finally had to take 3 months off, remaining on the seashore and at a sanatorium because of the degree of emphasis he was confronting ( T.S. Eliot ‘s Life and Career ) .

Though Eliot was an American Born author, in 1927 he became an official British citizen. In 1932 Eliot had the great chance of being a poesy professor at Harvard, his alma mater. But tragically in 1938, his married woman Vivien had to be put in an insane refuge, where she remained until her decease. “ Old Possum ‘s Book of Practical Cats ” , the footing for the current musical “ Cats ” , was published in 1939. In 1948, merely one twelvemonth after Vivien died, Eliot received the Nobel Peace award for literature. In 1957 Eliot remarried Valerie Fletcher. The U.S. Medal of Freedom was presented to Eliot in 1964, merely one twelvemonth before his decease at the age of 79 ( Fajardo-Acosta ) .

Even after Eliot died, many celebrated poets and authors gave him a concluding farewell. They recognized him as a great Christian. They besides said he was a good friend. After his decease, Eliot was cremated and his ashes were put in his hereditary small town in a church. Eliot ever kept his ties to England and his beginning. During his life he was considered a British citizen, so he was buried in Britain ( T. S. Eliot Biography – Life, Family, Children, Name, Story, Death, Wife, School, Young, Book, Old, Information, Born, College, Time, Year ) .

Eliot was a darling hubby and friend. He came from a good, American household and went through proper schooling. During his school old ages Eliot discovered his love for doctrine and literature. Throughout his life, Eliot held different occupations to back up himself and his household. In his ulterior old ages, he achieved many awards and well-earned acknowledgment. He died a great poet who had lived a full life and had many different experiences and journeys.

Overview/Summary of “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ”

“ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” is a verse form about a middle-aged adult male who wants to run into adult females for tea but is excessively afraid to go forth his comfort zone to travel and strike up conversations with them. In this verse form Prufrock invites the reader to come into his head and see what he is believing about his visual aspect, ennui and uneasiness ( Cummings ) .

In the beginning of this verse form Prufrock compares the eventide before him like a patient that has been knocked out for surgery. Based on the phrases used to depict the town, the reader can state that by this clip most shops and eating houses are closed and the streets are bare. Barely one paragraph into the verse form Prufrock begins to doubt his worth to adult females when compared to others, even others as good known and loved as Michelangelo ( Cummings ) .

Prufrock begins to see himself as an perceiver. He relates himself to a xanthous fog that travels the streets. He can non make up one’s mind whether to run into these adult females for tea or to travel on populating his same old life that repeats itself everyday. He tries to debate with his desire to travel to tea by explicating to himself that he still has plentifulness of clip before his determination must be made ( Cummings ) .

He starts to besides knock his vesture, inquiring what adult females will believe of him. He describes himself as a balding, field, thin adult male. He still thinks adult females will ne’er wish him if he is non every bit great as others, merely like every other twenty-four hours Every twenty-four hours is the same to Prufrock. People act the same and say the same things. He wonders why he should be the one to interrupt the cast ( Cummings ) .

Prufrock describes the feeling of being observed as being like a butterfly on show for unfavorable judgment. He realizes that even though all the adult females are the same to him, he still wants to travel to tea with adult females he is supposed to run into. He is lonely merely like all the other work forces who spend their clip inside detecting others. Is it genuinely worth his piece to step out of his alone life and travel to tea ( Cummings ) ?

Prufrock is turning old. He is in the center of his life and is losing clip and opportunities to populate. He thinks about perchance altering garb and activities merely to exchange things up. But would this alteration in gait be worth it? Would stepping out of his regular agenda to run into these adult females, merely to happen out that they merely wanted to be his friend, of all time be worth the fright, anxiousness, and self unfavorable judgment that this whole event and determination is doing ( Cummings ) ?

Prufrock spends the full verse form traveling on and on about why adult females would wish him and why he should even seek to travel and run into her. But at the same clip he realizes that his window is shuting and he is turning old. He can non make up one’s mind if it is deserving it to travel and run into them or to wait for another chance to originate. In the simplest footings, he is afraid.

Influences

T.S. Eliot one time said, “ You do non cognize how much they mean to me, my friends, and how, how rare and unusual it is, to happen in a composed so much of odds and endsaˆ¦ to happen a friend these qualities who has, and gives those qualities upon friendly relationship lives. How much it means that I say this to you these friendly relationships – life, what cauchemar! ” ( Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations ) .

Eliot grew up in a comfortable household. This allowed him to travel to good schools and finally to Harvard. He had the chance to analyze poesy in France and so went back to Harvard to analyze doctrine. He studied under good professors, got a good base for his poesy, and his female parent was besides a poet. ( Liukkonen )

Eliot besides said, “ Any poet, if he is to last beyond his 25th twelvemonth, must alter ; he must seek new literary influences ; he will hold different emotions to show ” ( Famous Quotes and Quotations at BrainyQuote ) . He had many influences. Christian religion seemed to be an influence in many of his plants, including “ Four Fours ” and “ Prufrock ” . At the same clip Eliot ever tried to non be labeled or go a “ spiritual poet ” ( T.S. Eliot – Biography ) .

Bing a British citizen born in America must hold had an consequence on Eliot ‘s authorship merely due to the pure difference between the civilizations. He besides had the cultural experience of disbursement clip in Germany and Paris. His outstanding household gave him the agencies to analyze literature. His endowment gave him the chance to utilize these agencies to go and see the universe ‘s different literature. But finally it was a combination of all these, along with his alone manner and points of position, that made him the writer who is recognized today.

Main Subjects

One of the chief subjects of “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” is the chief character ‘s solitariness. Throughout the verse form Prufrock invariably worries about what others are believing of him. While making this, he is subconsciously doing an attempt to estrange himself. He cares so much about others ‘ sentiments of him that he does n’t even desire to be around them ( Cummingss )

A really changeless subject in this verse form is Prufrock ‘s indecisiveness. Even after discoursing the pros and cons of traveling or non traveling to tea with adult females, he still ca n’t make up one’s mind. The whole verse form is dedicated to doing this determination. If he does travel, he might fall in love and she may non love him back. If he does non travel, he will be stuck in the eternal circle of his monotony life ( Cummings ) .

The thought of his life being tiring comes from his pessimistic position. He frequently talks about how he has seen all the types of people before. In his head, life ne’er alterations. As a effect of this, he does non desire to interrupt the regular gait of life by traveling out to run into these adult females. But at the same clip he does desire life to alter. He wants something new ( Cummings ) .

Prufrock ever finds something unequal about himself or others, but largely himself. He worries about everything from his manners to his popularity to his hair. He compares himself to royalty and well-known creative persons. He is unhappy that he ca n’t mensurate up and does n’t travel to tea ( Cummings ) .

Stylistic Devicess

One of the first stylistic devices used in “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” is colloquial linguistic communication. Prufrock is speaking to a friend, who is the reader. He discusses his ideas and his sentiments and his concerns. Together they wander the streets and speak about their lives and how Prufrock is turning older ( Cummings ) .

Another stylistic device that is really frequently used is symbolism. A batch of the symbolism, in one manner or another, negotiations about one facet of Prufrock. The xanthous fog that wanders around represents Prufrock ‘s timidness. The patient that has been put under anaesthesia is representative of Prufrock ‘s inability to do a determination. He besides compares himself to a bug put out for others to see and detect ( Cummings ) .

Repeat is extensively used in this verse form. Many phrases are repeated to acquire a point across and do it lodge in your caput. Personification is besides a literary device used. Personification is when something inhuman is talked about as if it is a individual. In this verse form a street is treated as a individual holding an statement ( Cummings ) .

One of the really good known types of devices used in this verse form is initial rhyme. Alliteration is utilizing a batch of words that start with the same missive in a sentence or phrase. This device makes the sentence flow good, and at the same clip stick in your caput ( Cummings ) .

The lines besides vary greatly in length. Some are really abruptly while others are rather long, and the content of those lines is varied. The train of idea is non a uninterrupted rhythm. The topics sometimes change really rapidly and at other times transition swimmingly into another thought as if you ne’er left the first idea at all ( Cummings ) .

Fictional characters

The chief character, of class, is Prufrock. He is a in-between aged adult male who is fighting with his ego image and life in general. He lives in a in-between category portion of town and has a fright of hazard and determination. He is ever cautious non to do a sap of himself, even if that means he misses out on a great chance. He tries really difficult throughout the verse form to be brave and to travel out and fitting people, but he ca n’t quite conveying himself to travel that far out of his comfort zone. Prufrock is speaking to a hearer. Readers do non cognize precisely who this is or even if it is merely Prufrock ‘s inner ego ( Cummings ) .

The adult females at the tea party play an of import function in this verse form. They are the ultimate bullying to Prufrock. To them he will ne’er mensurate up. They love male monarchs and Michelangelo. How could Prufrock of all time mensurate up to that? All these adult females are the same. They think the same and move the same. They are shallow and will look at the age, visual aspect and apparels of Prufrock ( Cummings ) .

The more minor characters in this verse form are the alone work forces who smoke and observe life as it passes them by. In many ways Prufrock is a batch like these work forces. They both are losing out on life for fright of what would go on if they really lived it alternatively of merely watching it. The large difference is that Prufrock wants to alter. Even if he does n’t alter, at least he has the will to alter. But fright is keeping him back. These work forces do n’t even care to alter. They are absolutely content where they are, making what they are making ( Cummings ) .

Trial Over T.S. Eliot and “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ”

T.S. Eliot was born in ____ .

a. America b. England

c. France d. Ireland

2. T.S. Eliot had ____ married womans.

a. 1 B. 2

c. 3 d. 4

3. T.S. Eliot went to school at ____ .

a. Yale b. Princeton

c. IWU d. Harvard

4. T.S. Eliot was a ( N ) ____ .

a. Christian b. Atheist

b. Buddhist d. Muslim

5. T.S. Eliot ‘s ma was a ___ .

a. Seamstress B. Poet

c. Nurse d. Professor

6. Prufrock is ____ .

a. Timid b. Brave

c. Heroic d. Stupid

7. Prufrock is a ( N ) ______ .

a. Child B. Old adult male

c. Teenager d. Middle aged adult male

8. The xanthous fog in “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock represents____ .

a. Prufrock B. Womans

c. Sadness d. Love

9. T.S. Eliot ‘s first married woman died___ .

a. At place b. in a infirmary

c. In an insane refuge d. at work

10. The T in T.S. Eliot stands for____ .

a. Thomas b. Timothy

c. Theodore d. Taylor

11. T.S. Eliot ‘s in-between name is___ .

a. Stanly b. Stearns

c. Steven d. Stravinsky

12. In “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” Prufrock is in ___ .

a. A rich town B. A park

c. A moth-eaten town d. A infirmary

13. T.S. Eliot was buried in ___ .

a. America b. Paris

c. England d. Africa

14. Eliot exhausted clip as a ___ .

a. Banker B. Teacher

c. All of the above d. None of the above

15. Prufrock thinks people are___ .

a. All the same B. Entirely

c. Unique d. Interesting

16. The Women Prufrock might travel fitting are____ .

a. Shallow B. Ache

c. Crazy d. All of the above

17. Eliot got to travel to ____ before returning to Harvard.

a. Australia b. Paris

c. Alaska d. Greece

18. Eliot died at age___ .

a. 80 b.87

c. 78 d. 79

19. Prufrock relates the dark to ___ .

a. The ocean B. A patient that has been put out

c. His life d. Women

20. “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” uses ___ .

a. Symbolism b. Alliterations

c. Repetition d. All of the above

Fill In The Blank

___________ was Eliot ‘s first married woman ‘s name.

Eliot had ___ siblings ( Liukkonen ) .

Besides poesy, Eliot besides enjoyed analyzing ______________ .

Eliot took a really short trip to _____________ .

Eliot met his inspiration for “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock in ____________ .

Eliot about contracted _________ febrility.

Eliot became a British citizen in _________ .

Prufrock is a ( N ) _________ , non an optimist.

Prufrock is supposed to run into ___________ for tea.

Eliot tried to ne’er be labeled as a ( N ) ____________ writer.

Essay

How does symbolism assist to portray an thought or object to a reader? Give an illustration.

Symbolism helps to demo an image in the reader ‘s head of the thought or object so that it is easier to understand. It combines words and mental images, therefore giving them more significance. A batch of Writers use symbolism in their Hagiographas. An illustration from “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ” is mentioning the dark to a patient in a infirmary that has been put under with anaesthesia.