"Prufrock" And Modernism Grow Old Together?
Using your understanding of the Prufrock poem, the Prufrock comic, and Prufrock questions, how does this poem illuminate some qualities of the modernist literary movement? Please use commentary, quotations, and critiques to construct your response. Please complete this blog response by 2:30p.m. on Fri., April 24th, 2015.
posted by Greg T at Monday, April 20, 2015
21 Comments:
It is a common theme throughout modernist poetry to question one's self. Prufrock questions his outward appearance and mannerisms in social settings. He ponders whether his social anxiety will cause him to die alone. Also, the setting of a city as well as discussion of art (Michelangelo), align with common aspects of modernism.
This poem by Prufrock helps us uderstand tthe modernism unit by breaking some traditional values. Usually, love poems are for young girls, wanting to find young love. In this poem, its the exact opposite. It's about a man who is old, who is trying his best to find love. This poem breaks the traditional values, just like modernism should.
The Prufrock poem, in my opinion, is actually more of an example of post-modernism than modernism, despite it being written in the early 1900s. This is because it uses plenty of metaphors and similes to the past eras of literature (like Hamlet or Dante), almost to the point of abuse. It is lathed in the reality of life for the average individual, which is filled with depressive moments and disappointments. Post-modernism was a criticism of the modernist era, which found it to be much too utopian and idealist. The Prufrock poem shows the failings of a man in his attempts to show his affection for a woman, and by the end of the poem, it is realized that the cause of his worries is not only self-caused, but also caused by society. Prufrock is most worried about dying alone and lonely, and it could be the fault of society to not allow him to live the end of his life in happiness. He feels trapped in the foreign world of the modern world, trapped by his emotions, and that is a criticism of the modernist society.
The poem "Prufrock" contains some elements of modernist literary elements. The Poem predominately contains a dark and cynical theme. He questions what he should do in life. he is worried that other wont accept him for who he is. He also talks about modern things, such as an industrialized city and people that talk of Michelangelo. All these things easily classify the "Prufrock" poem in the modernist literary movement.
An ongoing theme in modernist literature is questioning things. Prufrock in this poem is questioning himself and his self-worth, he doesn't think much of himself and he is questioning the future. He doesn't know what is going to happen and that scares him from doing anything at all, and at the end of the poem he talks of being old, alone, and eventually drowning until he is awakened by another human. I think by that, he means that he is waiting for someone to approach him because he questions himself so much that he will never have the courage to approach someone else.
The poem written by Prufrock is the essential idea of modernism in poetry. Prufrock feels that he is ugly and then proceeds to question himself on his outward appearance. This poem challenges past ideas that we are all beautiful on the outside and looks do not matter. But modernism challenges the idea to say that you are actually ugly on the outside and will die alone.
This poem illuminates some qualities of the modernist literary movement by showing an older man wanting to find love. Although the man is trying to find love, he is very insecure with himself and his aging. The quality about this poem that makes it a modernist movement is the fact that there are many poems about young women searching for love, yet this poem is about an older ,am searching for love. He is insecure with himself because as time goes on, he ages more and more. He is afraid that women will no longer love him in the future so the tone for the poem is somber, awkward, and upset.
The Prufrock poem exposes a new viewpoint on life. It is dark in some places, but for me, I believe you need to have the dark in order to see the light side of things. I believe that the poem is modernism because it does not hold back on information.
Prufrock is able to display a sense of modernism from the contrast of the upper class and wealthy people to people like Prufrock, who is awkward and doesn't fit in. It is describbing the struggle that Prufrock goes through in order to work up the courage to talk and mingle. It shows the transition from the old days where people were social, to the ever growing days of people who are reclusive.
After looking through all of the Prufrock stuff, I have noticed many qualities of the modernism movement. He mentions a few unique values that would fall in the Modernism category. Also at this time people were very interested in to how they look. Self appearance was a big deal starting at this time. Throughout the poem Prufrock talks about how he looks, like his thin hair.
T.S Elliot's Prufrock poem fits many of the characteristics of Modernist literature. Like a lot of modernist literature, the nature of the poem, Prufrock, looks inward and compares himself and judges himself based on the people and things in his surroundings. The narrator is not only questioning his own ability to effect the world around him but he is also questioning the changing morals of society and is upset at his own inability to function in society. Prufrock is worried about others judging him like they judge paintings and other things.
The Prufrock poem shows some qualities of the modernist literary movement from the man who was in love and was showing his affection for the woman but also he failed and didnt achieve what he wanted. His life was without very much happiness.This is connected to aspects of modernism.
This poem does show a decent amount of what modernist movement created. The biggest thing i noticed about this poem is that Prufrock Is worried about being judged by other people. In the Prufrock Comic he seems to have a critical eye on himself as he goes around looking for love. At one point in the poem he points out his bald spot on the back of his head. He in my opinion really did capture modernist movement by having a sense of how other people looked at him.
After recently studying Prufrock, early qualities of the modernist literary movement are present in a vivid description. Prufrock’s text is very unsettle and pity is the common theme. He is worried he will die alone, and ponders the thought of existence, which shape the ideals of modernism and reality
Prufrock demonstrates the characteristics of Modern literature because the poem displays more in depth thought about life. Socially, Prufrock is a little insecure, and is constantly thinking about all his anxieties. He admires another women, but is worried about her judging him for who he is. He doesn't have very much confidence with the situation, and is constantly overthinking things. The poem is set in a city which is also an example of modernism. Until the Modernism era, people were more focused on the more simplistic things in life such as figuring out how the world works, and religion. But now that the typical life has become easier to live the mind now thinks about a more complex lifestyle.
The modernist theme that stands out most to me in the Prufrock poem is the theme of questions. He is always questioning something; whether it's himself, or his surroundings. Throughout the poem he is intensely thinking about his anxiety and what people think of him.
The Prufrock poem displays a great amount of modernism. The poem shows us many different view points about life. Just like most of us, we are all searching for love and we all worry about if we are going to find someon ewe care about. However in the poem he seems to be running out of time to find love and it makes him sad that there is a strong possibility that he will be alone forever.
The Prufrock poem illustrates themes of modernism because it tells a story that varies from a traditional poem. T.S Elliot wrote about a character who struggled with inner self counscious problems. This identifies with a key element of modernism and it is important to look at the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock when studying modernism.
After reading the Prufrock poem, the comic,and the questions this poem brightened and enhanced my learning and understanding of modernism. In modernism writing Prufrock helps us understand traditional values in writing. His poem has dark and evil ideas within it which cause him to ask questions about his actions. Prufrock helped up understand that modernism writing is a lot of inner feelings and emotions that can be shown through writing.
The prufrock poem argues that we need to 're establish what we count our lives in and how we see our existence. Prufrock is one of the first articles to recall our usual ideas of idealistic society and push us towards what is really happening. We dont like to dwell on the negatives, but prufrock suggests that this can be equally if not more important.
Despite the obvious creepy gloomy feeling that surrounds the Prufrock poem I think that this poem will go down in history. The poem does a historic job of being able to get into the subconscious of someone who thinks in a mind set that it so far abstract that we can't comprehend that this person could possibly be sane. Sanity is called into question but still it lets us think deeper about modernism and human behavior.
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