The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: How Indecisiveness and Awkwardness in Dating Lead to Failure

I.S. Eliot considered as one of the most important modernist poets at the time, he was born September 26, 1888 in Missouri, U.S and died January 4, 1965 in London, England. I.S Eliot known as American-English poet, playwright, literary critic, and editor. The poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot is an example of modernist poetry that share many of the characteristics of modernism, which is a movement that sprouts up among the sea of change, in both literary technique and in the culture that lasted during and after WWI. The poem focuses on the frustration and love sickness of the urban and modern man, Prufrock. He expresses his thoughts about the uneventful life that he has as a result of his feelings of inadequacy. As I read this poem, I could fully agree that men today and Prufrock, a modern man are alike because they are both pull themselves away from people, insecure about their appearance, and they let their anxiety make them indecisive.

Some people are facing the problem of awkwardness when it comes to face other people, so they rather being alone then surrounding with others. In the poem “The Love Song of Alfred Prufrock.” Prufrock, regularly pulls himself away from others. Where he tends to walk on his own the empty street of abandoned area of town, “Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, the muttering retreats of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants with oysters-shell.” (line 5-7). He finds these moments are calming and doesn’t have to go through these “Streets that follow like a tedious argument of insidious intent to lead you to an overwhelming question...” (line 8 – 10). Which shows he doesn’t want to come in contact with any person. Some men today would be like Prufrock, where they are completely separate themselves from the crowd and just to be alone. As far as I know that most of my friends are like that, wherever we go to somewhere they sometimes put their headphone on so that they would not hear or need to talk to other people. They pulled themselves away from people just to be in their comfort zone. They prefer to keep it to themselves since they believe that everyone will reject them, or they would not have to deal with other people.

Prufrock and some men today have gone to great length to hide their weakness, which lead to insecurities, and it affects their lives and in relationships. In T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” describe himself having “a bald spot in the middle of his hair” (line 40) and having thin arms and legs (line 44) showed that he been scrutinized about his appearance, and he thinks women would say bad things about him behind his back, but in reality he has never been talked with these women. Some men today are the same as Prufrock that they are insecure about their appearance. For example, my friend Logan. He is unhappy with his looks and doesn’t have the confident to approach women. He worries that other people would find him unattractive and maybe doesn’t want to talk to him. This show that both men Prufrock in the poem and my friend, don’t have the confident and let the dough of what others think about them way too much that they don’t feel good about themselves.

Indecision is source of anxiety that cause Prufrock, and some men today’s minds unraveling. A place they both indecisive was in love, they doubt if the women was right for them and don’t have the gut to go talk to them. In the poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, where Prufrock said to himself “In a minute there is time” (47). This phrase is repeated often throughout his poem, as if he is trying to convince himself and justify for his action. He also said: “Time for you and time for me, /

And time yet for a hundred indecisions, / And for a hundred visions and revisions” (31-33). Prufrock resists making decisions because of his fear of people judging him, as he avoids taking any action by discussing his lack of decisiveness. Men today are somehow similar to Prufrock in the poem. When a man is indecisive, it can be somehow dangerous. Not indecisive on where to go for dinner or what he wants to drink. But indecisive when it comes to relationship could be a problem. I had a conversation with one of my old friends, where he recently broke up with his girlfriend, because he said he doesn’t know if he happy in his relationship or not. He is indecisive to the point of staying in relationship just doesn’t know what he wants, but his girlfriend dumped him because of that. If a man wants a woman to be in their life and be happy, then they should men up and decide and make that women to be a part of his life not his backup plan.

Many men today face the same problems and face the same failure as Prufrock in the poem, such as their awkwardness and tend to pull themselves away from other people, feel insecure about themselves and indecisiveness of speech whether it comes to dating and in real life situation. Some of the men today are lack empathy and regard for others, that’s why many women love to friend-zone them and for Prufrock in the poem he talked to himself most of the time and doesn’t seem to talk to anybody. In order to avoid such a predictable outcome, Prufrock and men today should step out of their comfort zone, as they need to talk to people and not talked to themselves and have an inner thought that cause them anxiety.