Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Prufrock: one paragraph
The line "So how should I presume?" is repeated three times with slightly different syntax in the section of the poem where Prufrock is describing a woman. The line serves the double purpose of expressing Prufrock's anxieties and fragmenting the poem's forward momentum. As soon as Prufrock starts to describe the woman in detail or starts to talk about his life in a meaningful way, he is distracted by his indecision. Prufrock's inability to be confident in himself causes him to constantly ask for approval from whoever this poem is addressed to. His need for approval is so pressing in Prufrock's mind that he can't help but interrupt his own thoughts by imploring the reader for approval. These frequent interruptions fragment the poem, and this fragmentation is an indicator of Prufrock's own anxiety. The poem in its jarring and unorganized form helps the reader to see into the mind of Prufrock by showing them the incongruity of an anxious-ridden person's thoughts.
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Eric, this if fabulous!
ReplyDeleteEric I definitely agree with you. Your specific line from Prufrock does enhance the case of anxiety and causes the absolute jarring of thoughts. Prufrock, as you said, is seeking acceptance and love from a women in reality yet cannot hope to achieve it. Therefore the lack of confidence really hinders his personality and ultimately makes his endeavors futile.
ReplyDeleteEric, you chose the same line I did and introduced so many of the same points! We think alike! Anyway, I loved how you articulated your in depth analysis of not only this particular line of poetry, but the poem as a whole, too. You made some really clear points and backed them up with really strong evidence, giving your paragraph an incredibly strong argument. Well done!
ReplyDeleteVery nice Murray, you make many valid points here. Procrastination and self doubt are defintely Prufrock's biggest weakness's in the poem. He is almost like a child who lacks any guidance or structure, and is seeking any outside influence to tell him what he should be doing. His inability to make desicions and lack of self confidence lead him to disregard his own thought and search for outside input.
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