Do I Dare Respond Like Prufrock?
Poet Ezra Pound stated that The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, “…is a portrait of failure, or of a character which fails, and it would be false art to make it end on a note of triumph…” Please respond and react to this excerpt from his review of the poem; furthermore, what aspects of the poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, and character, Prufrock, “speak” to you? Why? How? Please use quotations from the poem to defend your analysis and explication.
posted by Greg T at Friday, April 04, 2008
23 Comments:
I agree with this criticism of the poem, in that the poem discusses many things the narrator thought he should do, would do, or thought about doing – but things that he did not do. He asks the readers what he should do, as if crying out for help; “To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”” (37). The part that spoke to me the most was the last three lines: “We have lingered in the chambers of the sea/By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown/Till human voices wake us, and we drown” (129-131) These lines from the poem exemplify how some people live in their own little world and are completely absent from reality, and when they are pulled out of their world and into reality, they ‘drown’ and do not survive. I think this is an amazing insight into human nature.
I think that the analysis of Prufrock by Ezra Pound is accurate. Prufrock is a frustrated man who is longing for love and ultimatly in the end of the poem fails and admits his own failure by saying "I do not think that they will sing to me." I think that metaphors Prufrock uses to describe himself such as "I am Lazarus, come from the dead" and "I have seen my head gown slightly bald brought in upon a platter" exemplifies the over glorified perception he has of himself.
The analysis of Pruflock by Ezra Pound is for the most part correct. In life today there are many thoughts that run through our heads all the time like thoughts ran through narrator’s head. We often succeed, fail and ask for help within our lives. It is part of life and it is how we learn. I agree with Sam that the narrator’s perception of himself is over glorified. I also agree with Sara that some people live their life in their own little world. Sometimes people need to wake up from a dream world and get a taste of reality and what real life can be like.
This poem shows that not everyone is perfect and also that to live a good life you have to have your good and bad times. We all fail but in the end it just shows us how to do it differently the next time. There are may examples of this kind of failure in history. Most end with a note of triumph but that person had to work to get there.
The main part of the poem that spoke to me was then he said "I grow old... I grow old... I shall wear he bottoms of my trousers rolled." (line 120-121) I say this because he is trying to appear younger and it makes me think of how time is now with everyone trying to stay young. I see it as he has understanding of many different things with his age, one being love, so he should not try to hide it.
I agree with Ezra Pound's statement. Throughout the entire poem the narrator points out all his own flaws and everything he doesn't like about himself, so it is no surprise that other people don't exactly like him since he is always negative. The quotes "And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”(37-38) and "Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse." (45-49) intrigued me the most because they seem to summarize his outlook on life, he is always thinking of what could be and what could have been instead of actually fulfilling any of his dreams. Then once he actually does something he realizes it no longer is something he should have done. The two quotes to me summarize how the narrator feels that he is always behind everyone else and can never catch up since in his mind he can never make the right decisions.
I agree with Mr. Ezra Pound. Through out the poem Prufrock is talking about things that he would like to do and does not. He asks what should he do. "Do I dare?" If you know what you want why would you ask for help? Not everyone needs love to be happy, but in his poem that is what it seems like he thinks.
This poem show that in order to be proud of the life that you are living, you have to go through easy and hard times. You also have to have good and bad times in your life to realize the good things in life. Part of the reason that Prufrock is very frustrated becayse he can not find love in his life and that makes him very frustrated. He wants to take chances but he asks him self "Do i dare". He needs to just do what he wants to do with out heistating.
I think that the analysis of Prufrock by Ezra Pound is accurate. i think that the poem is a dramatic metaphorical expression of his life's story. in general the thing that spoke to me was his relative sullenness throughout the poem. it shows his demeanor and outlook on his life is not very positive. "do i dare" seems to be prufrock's inquisitive philosophy towards his less than satisfactory love life and just tries to get some self-help.
I would agree with what Ezra Pound is saying. The narrator talks about all of his problems and issues. He points out everyone of them. To wonder "Do I dare?"pg37-38. this makes me think of the real world today because alot of people don't think about the possibilities they just do the same thing everyday that they've alway done. The narrator finds that he can do things that he has never thought of before and that its ok to think or dream about stuff.
I also agree with this critique, Prufrock seems to be expressing his true feelings of his experiences. He truely expresses the feelings of being wanted then, being forgoten. Every person wants to be excepted, wants to be popular, Prufrock seems to express the true reality of what can be expected in life. Everyone has experienced this type of ebb and flow in life. Therefore it is only plausible that Prufrock end his "Love Song" with hurt.
I agree with Eza Pound's statement of "failure". Throughout the poem, the narrator discusses his problems/conflicts/issues in depth; he "drags" them on until the end of the poem. The poem almost sounds as if he is confessing all of his wrong doings and how he feels as a result of his mistakes. He also talks about what he should have done or who he should be, but he realizes that he cannot change himself. "No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be" (line 111). "I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas." (line 73-74).
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I agree with the analysis of Prufrock by Ezra Pound. Today, people have many thoughts going through our head and thinking about many different scenarios just like the narrator. I agree with Whitney, that people succeed, fail, and ask for help and that is how we learn throughout our lives. Some people do in fact live in their own little worlds and just like Sam said the perception of the narrator is over glorified!
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I think that overall this analysis is accurate. By comparing himself to Lazarus saying, "I am Lazarus, come from the dead" is showing how he feels about himself. Prufrock is wishy washy and makes the poem confusing, because he himself is confused. He has all these thoughts of what other people see him as, and they are different than how he sees himself.
I agree with the analysis of Prufrock by Erza Pound because there are people these days that go through similar situations as the narrator explains. People get frustrated because they can't find love and asks themselves as the narrator did,"To wonder, "Do I dare?" and, "Do I dare?" (37). It's like they become hesitant at what they want to do and all they can do is ask for help.
I think this critizism is quite accurate. Prufrock is what modern people would call a "Creeper or stalker." Prufrock is obviously a disturbed man who gets nervous very easily, so he stands on the sides and listens to women's coversations. But he cannot talk to them. He cannot come out of his comfort zone and talk to them. If the narrarator is going to be negative about himself, then other people are going to negative about him. He must start by being a positive and not recognizing his flaws.
I think that the criticism of the Prufrock poem is for the most part correct. In some ways, this poem seems like it applies to many generations. some of the things that Prufrock thinks about in the poem are still things we worry or think about today. Towards the end of the poem when Prufrock is debating how he should wear his clothes or what he should do or say, is normal for everyone, though he is a little obsessive. People tend to get really self-conscious when certain situations lower there confidence. This happens to everyone, and it happens to Prufrock in the poem quiet regularly in the poem. Since this poem has so many things that all people alike can relate too, it makes this poem somewhat timeless.
I also agree with the criticism of Ezra Pound. Prufrock is a strange disturbed man, and I think there are a lot of people like him in todays society. Too many people are self-conscious and worry too much about what other people think of them, rather than being themselves. Until they let all of that go, they will never find true happiness.
prufrock is not the nicest of people. i didnt like the fact that he compares love to fog on the window eventhough it is a good analagy. he is strange because he is a creeper andstares at women.
I do agree with this. Although this is a weird way of showing it, the narrator didnn't want to talk to the girls, or group of people on the idea that they were talking about him. He had a sense if insecuity and worry that he won't be able to succeed if he talks to the girls.
I agree with the criticism of the poem in that the poem discusses many things that the narrator should do. He points out all his flaws and everything he doesn't like about himself which can prove what others don't possibly like about him. He might possibly think he might be self-concious but there are people who are like that.
I agree with the analysis of the poem by Ezra. The man in this poem has almost no hope and seems to be in a very dark place. When he says "I don't think they will sing to me" he is trying to say how little he feels for himself and how he is almost worthless.
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