Video Title: The Works of T.S. Eliot 05: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Channel: Duke Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education
Speakers: Victor Strandburg
Duration: 00:31:11
Introduction
This video lecture analyzes T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," exploring its themes, structure, and literary techniques. The lecturer uses the poem to illustrate key features of modernist poetry and Eliot's characteristic style.
Key Takeaways
The title's incongruity: The title "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" immediately establishes a central conflict between romance and realism within the poem.
Allusions and Intertextuality: Eliot's use of allusions, particularly to Dante's Inferno, highlights themes of loneliness and isolation. The poem also references other literary works and figures, creating intertextual connections.
Dual Voices: The poem features two distinct voices: a romantic Prufrock longing for connection and a realist Prufrock paralyzed by self-doubt and anxieties.
Recurring Motifs: The motif of "question" structures the poem, reflecting Prufrock's inability to declare his love. Other recurring motifs include images of dissection and psychological fragmentation.
Theme of Time: The concept of time, and its impact on Prufrock's inaction and eventual loneliness, is a major theme.
Modernist Poetic Techniques: The lecture exemplifies how the poem utilizes jump cuts (abrupt transitions), recurring motifs instead of traditional narrative structure, and a focus on psychological realism.
Prufrock's Insecurities: Prufrock's physical unattractiveness and self-consciousness are key factors contributing to his inability to act on his romantic feelings.
Conclusion: The poem ultimately portrays Prufrock as a figure who is ultimately unsuited for both romance and realism, trapped in a cycle of indecision and loneliness.
