Voice in T.S. Eliot’s Prufrock
A Character’s Unique Voice Offers Alternate Views of a Given Work
An analysis of the effects of voice in T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." A brief look at the effect of voice on the poem's many themes.
Voice in Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
Voice can provide intimate access to the heart and psyche of a character. It can have the effect of stripping a character down to the core, or it can serve as a wall of defense for a character; it can pick and choose what to discuss, or it can objectively narrate events; it can be positive and confident, or depressing and cynical. Through analyzing the element of voice in Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” we can more fully realize its significance in understanding the poem’s varied themes and meanings.
The voice in “Prufrock” is that of J. Alfred Prufrock himself; therefore, the poem is in the first person. This is important to the poem because we are allowed only one view—we can only see society and the world through the eyes of Prufrock.
Insight into Prufrock's Mind
The poem’s central action is internal, that is, it takes place in the mind of Prufrock. This narrative style adds to the ethereal, or dream-like, quality of the poem. For example, in the opening section, Prufrock begins by inviting the reader on a journey and describes the tranquil evening, which he then compares to “a patient etherized upon a table” (line 3). This opening description is an immediate example of Prufrock’s other-worldly mindset—such a peculiar way of describing an evening sky is an indication of Prufrock’s eccentric persona.
Prufrock’s voice offers insight into his desolate mind and world. Prufrock shows his fear of indecision and regret throughout the poem—“‘Do I dare? Do I dare?’” and later with his litany of questions about how he should wear his hair and if he should eat a peach (lines 38, 121). Prufrock is aware that there is always “time yet for a hundred indecisions, and for a hundred visions and revisions, before the taking of a toast and tea” (30-34). Prufrock is overwhelmed and disillusioned by the state of society—in day-to-day life, there are a multitude of instances that demand decisions, visions, and revisions. Prufrock is plagued by this existence and feels flustered when he observes the women coming and going, talking of Michaelangelo (13-14). While Prufrock is constantly tormented by decision, indecision, and regret, the women seem to just be casually going through life’s motions. Prufrock’s point of view allows the reader to comprehend his internal sentiments.
Voice Used to Vent Frustrations
At times, Prufrock is not able to articulate what he feels; Prufrock’s inability to express his feelings is frustrating to him, and he uses his voice to express his frustrations, “[I am] at times, indeed, almost ridiculous—Almost, at times, the Fool” (117-18).
Voice as a Mode of Social Commentary
Prufrock is able to comment on society as well. It seems that for Prufrock, oftentimes the decisions he is faced with are brought on directly by the pressures of society. His obsessive self-consciousness is derived from the pressure society imposes on him to adopt a certain image. Prufrock’s viewpoint is essential in delineating his feelings toward society—a third person would not be able to transmit his feelings as accurately and emotionally.
In “Prufrock,” we see the way that the first person voice helps propel the various themes and meanings inherent in the poem. The voice offers insight into Prufrock’s internal thought. While his voice most often enables the reader a lucid understanding of Prufrock, in some instances it proves to be limiting (“It is impossible to say just what I mean!” [104]).
Source: Eliot, T.S. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The Wasteland and Other Poems. New York: Penguin, 2003. 3-8.
