Eliot develops a delightful lyric that evokes a profound sentimental feeling to numerous readers; maybe that is the reason he titles it a love song. Be that as it may, Eliot is the expert of concealing his grievances with society inside of the beautiful words composed on the page. He discusses the triviality of society in line 13, and again in line 34, " In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michelangelo " (13, 34). Prufrock mentioned the renowned sixteenth century craftsman—the name itself conveys to memory pictures of wonderful depictions and figures in one's psyche—as a representation for excellence itself, and how it is an unfortunate fixation for ladies in numerous societal orders of the world to try to decorate themselves, particularly using paints—cosmetics, hair colors, and so on—and also their fanatical endeavors to "shape" their bodies into immaculate model figures, with a specific end goal to feel wanted and adored by society, regardless of the fact many of these procedures may be detrimental to one’s health. This is an issue that youngsters can relate to and something that has existed from era to era as various social orders encourage people (particularly ladies) to comply with the general public's norms of what is proper and beautiful, especially keeping in mind the end goal to find a decent spouse or to get along well in their general public, and numerous young ladies will do just about anything to conform to these societal standards of beauty. Such wanton pursuit of beauty can lead to dietary issues, unsafe injections, dangerous medical procedures, and so on, just for the purpose of looking good. Obviously this societal imperfection truly irritates Eliot and he sees the need to repeat it not once, but rather twice in the poem.
Eliot also appears to feel that individuals who do not fit into the societal norms experience serious difficulty in convincing people that they are credible and deserve to be heard. Prufrock can't cease feeling troubled about how he is seen by others. Regardless of the fact that he urgently wishes to communicate with individuals from his general public, "And indeed there will be time / To wonder, ‘Do I dare?’ and ‘Do I dare?’ (37, 38) " he can't, for the weight and the apprehension is too much for him, so it is " time to turn back and descend the stair,” (39) as he is excessively troubled of the reaction he will get from society. "They will say: ‘How his hair is growing thin how his arms and legs are thin!’ ” (41, 44) Eliot, through Prufrock, demonstrates this regular apprehension that is existent in each era; individuals who do not appear to fit into the public order for any reason think that it is pointless as to why other people should be willing to hear what they wish to say, and such individuals are often too terrified of being scorned or ridiculed to ever risk to stand up and speak. Michael North expresses that Eliot’s societal dilemma “seems to make the human being a combination of road-map and Roberts' Rules of Order” (North), both which are guidelines pre-made for people in a society to give them directions and to tell them how to run their lives.
Eliot is considerably more skeptical about how he feels society would most likely respond to somebody like Prufrock on the off chance that he ever could endeavor to clarify about reality and shades of malice of society. He says, " But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed/Though I have seen my head brought in upon a platter/I am no prophet and here’s no great matter;” " (81-83) Prufrock, in the same way as others, have shed endless quantities of tears dying to be heard and taken seriously, regardless, they can't pass on a changing message to individuals from their general public because of a paranoid fear of negative repercussions. Eliot's portrayal of seeing his head on a platter is a Biblical correlation with John the Baptist, who was executed by King Herod since he spoke out about Herod and Herodias, Herod's wife. Herodius detested John for speaking the truth about their sins, arranged for her daughter, Salome, to have John killed and his head brought to her on a silver platter. Despite the fact that Eliot says he is no prophet, he feels sympathetic towards John the Baptist, as the two appear to be having the comparative issue of being mistreated and brutally assaulted for endeavoring to come clean about society.
In today's times it is the same. Numerous people today feel that they have a message to convey to their general public, however regularly society appears to be unwilling to hear them. Despite the fact that American culture has advanced to a point where one can communicate more freely than in the past, frequently social orders still have a "kill the messenger" response when somebody conveys news or other messages that could be viewed as disagreeable to the status quo. In this manner, these societal standards serve to bring about great apprehension; however in the meantime makes the misunderstood question, “Do I dare/ Disturb the universe?” (45, 46) or simply live in disappointment and take no action?
Notwithstanding Eliot's powerful urge to convey a message to society, from the tone of the poem Eliot simply appears to have the need to be allowed to exist in the public eye and act naturally; be that as it may, he is not able to as he has attempted so many times to be acknowledged yet is unsuccessful. He continually is reminded of how he is aging, he discusses his “bald spot in the middle of my hair” (39) and "I grow old, I grow old" (120), and he urgently needs to attempt to discover his place in the public eye; however, since he has strolled in the public arena for years, he is very much aware of how judgmental society is and how it rushes to judge every person with an extremely critical gaze. Eliot states through Prufrock, “And I have known the eyes already, known them all— /The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase.” (55, 56) Eliot is by all accounts suggesting here that society is continually waiting with baited breath for individuals to act outside of the societal standard so they can immediately jump in to judge and to denounce them. Burns’ view of this passage states, “ the eyes of the social eliteare pins that will pin him to the wall in the same manner that an entomologist displays an insect” (Burns 46). This societal resistance makes it incomprehensible for individuals to attempt to portray themselves as who they really are, and the endless pressure pushes Eliot to a desire to completely vanish from society. He says, “I wish I had been a pair of ragged claws/Scuttling across the floor of silent seas.” (73, 74). In these times, numerous individuals wish to follow down the same road as society constrains them to attempt to fit a specific mold to be really acknowledged by others, and these "formulaic phrases" frequently serve to make people feel immaterial, on edge, and inept. This likewise can entice our youngsters to succumb to peer pressure as they futilely attempt to adjust to the guidelines of a judgmental society. This truth about society is the element that makes Eliot's poem totally relatable, regardless of the era.
Close to the end of his poem, Eliot at long last allows Prufrock's wish to escape society, yet not quite making him “scuttle across the floor of silent seas,” Eliot imagines a peaceful life for Prufrock in his maturity, a long way from the considerations of society, where he “shall wear the bottoms of his trousers rolled [he] shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk along the beach.” (121, 123). Be that as it may, the dulled voices of society are still present; Eliot depicts them as “mermaids singing, each to each”, notwithstanding "he [does] not think they will sing to [him]." (124, 125). The mermaid representation is exceptionally accurate to the way society has a tendency to capture individuals, as legends have portrayed that mermaids used to be creatures called sirens who entrapped men with their beauty and their voices. In any case, for the present Eliot is sheltered in his own particular world, far from it all. Eliot, however takes him back to reality towards the end, implying that regardless of how one tries to get away from the catches of society, they cannot. He says this at the last line of his ballad, "till human voices wake us, and we drown." (130), indicating how in the long run independence is washed away in the aggregate voice of society.
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a convincing, radiant poem in which Eliot utilizes his character, Prufrock as his voice to reveal the disasters of a judgmental society that is continually watching and evaluating people and always forcing them to adjust to its principles. Eliot additionally uncovered some of his own shortcomings and dissatisfactions as he tries to figure out how to exist in the public eye yet can't appear to discover his place. Eliot passes on his message by his stunning utilization of allegorical suggestions, symbolism, and a sentimental tone. Despite the fact that this poem was composed 90 years prior, it is profoundly cherished and cited by numerous individuals of today, and no doubt it will be famous in following years to come due to the message it passes on that each and every person in every era can relate to.
Works Cited
Brown, Rita M. Direct Quotation. Goodreads.com. 2016. Web. 15 Mar 2016 < https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/11026-i-think-the-reward-for-conformity-is-that- everyone-likes>
Burns, Allen D. Thematic Guide to American Poetry. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group. 2005. Web. 13 Mar 2016
Eliot, T.S. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Poetry, An Introduction, Fifth Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s, 2007. Print. 456-460. 13 Mar 2016
North, Michael. The Political Aesthetic of Yeats, Eliot, and Pound. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991. Web. 13 Mar 2016
