Do I Dare Disturb The Universe: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay

Do I Dare Disturb the Universe

Lingering in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

T.S Eliots obsession with the negative aspects of western society is prevalent in his poetry, but the question is, why? In order to understand T.S. Eliots mind frame in a world entering WWI, it is beneficial to take a look at one of his earlier works, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. By taking a new historical approach to interpreting Eliots constant use and allusion to the word linger in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock we can gain a better understanding of Eliots disappointment with the state of his world. Progression is so nonexistent that Eliot also writes the poem in the form of a dramatic monologue to accentuate humanitys inability to move onward. Through the plight of the everyman Prufrock, Eliot captures the stagnation of the western civilized world, and calls into question the modern mans lack of development.

Before looking at Eliots usage of linger in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, it is imperative to trace the usage of the word in the early English language. According to the Oxford English Dictionary Online, when the word linger first appeared around the 1300s in Old English vernacular it simply meant To dwell, abide by, stay (in a place). As the English language advanced, however, the word evolved to represent more than just physical inactivity, and it is this all encompassing inactivity that represents Eliots concerns in the poem. By 1871, the word linger had advanced to the point where it included prolonged consideration; To dwell upon, give protracted consideration to, be reluctant to quit. By 1883, the word had once again evolved when it began to represent unfulfilled desires; To have a longing or craving, to hanker. The latter two definitions better encapsulate the poems protagonists plight, because not only does it shed light on his inability to progress in society, and his constant worry that he is running out of time; And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,/ And in short, I was afraid, but it also demonstrates his longing to fulfill his sexual desires; Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,/ Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?" (Eliot 14) With an understanding of the evolution of the word linger, Eliots portrayal of humanity, entering the 20th century gains clarity.

In addition to the history of the word linger, it is important to comment on the style of poem as well. Even the form in which Eliot wrote the poem forces one to linger on specific occurrences because Eliot used the dramatic monologue to capture the voice of humanity at the start of the 20th century; In a specific situation at a critical time. (Abrams 85) Prufrock becomes the symbol for the average man living in pre WWI society. While going about his daily routine, Prufrock is reminded and worried about issues that are not uncommon; life, sex, death, etc. In these moments, Prufrock fails to act on his own thoughts because of various reasons, and lingers on the triviality of his existence. He ends up wasting away his days, accomplishing so little that his feats can be measured out with coffee spoons and cigarette butt-ends, basically equating his life to trash; something so insignificant that it can be thrown away without causing much commotion. The protagonist is constantly made self-aware of the dangers he must endure while trying to talk to women, and this sentiment is echoed in Eloise Knapp Hays T.S. Eliots Negative Way when she declares, he knows that his failure to fulfill the feminine imperative will turn him into a hamlet-indecisive and therefore destroyed-or into someone like John the Baptist, destroyed because he is too decisive.(Hay 19) While on his perpetual pursuit of women, he is consistently reminded of his own inadequacies, in the form of the women who come and go talking of Michelangelo.(Eliot 11) Michelangelo becomes the standard bearer for the unattainable perfection of man; a standard fixated in the glory days of the past, something that Eliots protagonist realizes he will never be. Eliot uses the dramatic monologue to separate his own voice from that of Prufrocks in an effort to illustrate the protagonist as the voice of all men stuck in pre WWI western society.

Because it epitomizes the frustration of the poems main character, and it is constantly alluded to, the word linger represents, and therefore appears throughout, the poem, most notably in the last sentence of the poem. This harrowing reminder serves as a reference to the reader that it may be too late to save humanity from its own self imposed lack of progress; We have lingered in the chambers of the seaTill human voices wake us, and we drown.(Eliot 16) It also appears in many forms before that, most notably in the word malinger. Malinger, which first appears in the 1820s is, To pretend or exaggerate illness in order to escape duty or work; to feign or produce physical or psychological symptoms. Prufrock creates his own maladies that paralyze him from taking action, and is constantly worried about his indecisions, and the numerous revisions, or mistakes that could accompany them. (Eliot 12) Zulfikar Ghose, in Hamlet, Prufrock and Language, claims that Prufrocks protagonists inability to act, and repetitive lingering stems from his confusion about his role in the world; There is the world, here is my body, which I believe has an existence, and these are words: words with which from time to time I wonder about my existence and try to puzzle out what relation it has with that world.(Ghose 43) He repeatedly asks, "How should I presume?" (Eliot 13) Consequently, he is unable to take actions without presuming the negative outcomes first, and thus creates reasons that detract him from taking these actions. This constant negativity, stems from Eliots own negative philosophy concerning the state of humanity. It is this negativity that makes Prufrock so resistant to change, and his inability to come to a decision concerning what he should be doing; Prufrocks answer is all about his failure to find an answer to an overstated question.(Hay 19) By constantly wondering how he should presume, and therefore constantly second guessing himself, is forced to dwell on every action he takes, which leads him to no action at all. And so life for is a series of lost opportunities for Prufrocks protagonist: "I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.(Eliot 14)

Prufrocks protagonist is not a character to be singularly pitied, for he is the embodiment of humanity in T.S. Eliots lifetime. Instead of pitying Prufrock, the reader should pity the sad, non progressive state of the western world. Even though Prufrock is only thinking to himself, his troubles are universal. The stagnation and lack of progression, coupled with the preference to linger on the past and present and pay little heed to the future, is something that Eliot was extremely concerned with, and would continue to be concerned with throughout the opening of the 20th century.