In what ways is Eliots The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock, an example of modernist writing? Discuss this in relation to form as well as content.
Introduction to English Studies
In what ways is Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock,’ an example of modernist writing? Discuss this in relation to form as well as content.
TS Eliots poem ‘ The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufock’ is a manifestation of early modernist writing. Written in 1915, TS Eliot helped mould the ideology of modernist writing, through his use of language, creation of new rhythms and techniques, and presentation of images. Modernism itself came about as a result of experimentation and thus become the most influential literary movement of the early twentieth century. Themes of self reflection and focusing on the characters conscious and subconscious thoughts are prevalent throughout ’Love Song’, helping shape forms of modernism. TS Eliot helped establish elements of modernist writing through his allusions to other works of literature, also creating new modern techniques in ’The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ through grand use of language which served to mock the subject rather then praise it. ‘Prufock’ is a variation on the dramatic monologue thus leading the way in modernism for a new, non-linear form of poetry.
Modernist influences can be seen through TS Eliots utilization of language and form. TS Eliots use of irony is prevalent in the title of the poem itself, as we determine that ‘The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufock’ is not a love poem but rather a depiction of a lonely, isolated figure who feels alienated from the society around him. The opening lines ‘Let us go then, you and I/ When the evening is spread out through the sky’ signal the start of a traditional love poem, and emanate thoughts of romance. However, the following line ’like a patient etherized upon a table’, contrasts with this feeling of romance and rather dampens the images of love. TS Eliot replaces the feeling of romance with an anaesthetized atmosphere devoid of emotion, utilizing the technique of bathos, where the form followed the trajectory of elevation followed by the let down of the comparison to the ‘patient etherized’. This use of bathos reinforces the modernist techniques employed by TS Eliot to portray the despondence of the character. There is no regular rhyme and TS Eliot also breaks through the barrier of using the rigid lyrics structure by utilizing prose which strives to be emotive and strong lyrics, but purposefully falls short. The detached nature of the poem has an ironic relationship with the traditon of lyric poetry, while alluding to appear to be lyric poetry, it undermines its true nature and content, which is best shown by the lines ‘It is impossible to say what I just mean/ But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:/Would it have been worthwhile/ If one settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl/ And turning towards the window should say:/ That is not it at all/ That is not what I meant at all’.
