BLOGS WEEK 9

[serenity57]

Part 1: Reflection

The poem is called "The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" to describes the life of the narrator Alfred Prufrock. The poem consists on many rhymes and repetition from the beginning to the end similar to what a song would have describing the life of the narrator. The poem also has a love theme between Profrock and women hence the name "The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock". Even though the poem is titled as if it would be a romantic love song, there were many lines that dishes out opposite images other than love itself. T.S. Eliot wrote " Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels" in the first stanza of the poem that give readers an idea of a man who only visits cheap hotels for a night with women he meets. The irony in the poem reappear through out the poem " Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, have the strenth to force the moment to its crisis?" This line brings up an image where the speaker is becoming lazy and asking himself if he would have the strength to reach a climax after tea, cakes and ices. The images of this poem does not represent a love song like one would expect. Prufrock uses many reference to other literature such as Hamlet; however, he straight out says that he is not "Prince Hamlet" nor is he "to swell a scene or two" but "Almost, at times, a Fool". He does not seem to be proud of the person that he is calling himself a fool. The poem takes place in a city with "fog that rubs its back upon the window panes" during a night in the month of October. Prufrock is at a social gathering. His goal is to meet and talk to a woman that are there but is afraid that they would look down upon him. Prufrock can be described as a cowardly man who doesn't take charge in doing the things he desire to do. Prufrock seem to lack self-confidence when it comes to women saying "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me." which brings us to another irony in the poem.

Part 2: Looking ahead

Demeter and Presephone are Greek goddesses who have power over the growth and death of the earth's vegetation. The myths that exist are important to the continuing flourishment of the earth. In the beginning of time, there were no such thing as seasons, it was always spring time when there was always good crops all year round. However, when Demeter was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Persephone decided that she would not continue her duty and leave in order to look for Demeter. There are many versions of the myth of Persephone and Demeter; however, the most popular version says that Hades and Zeus had a plan to trick Persephone to come across a 'cosmic flower' which, one she plucked it, the Earth would open beneath her and take her into the Underworld where she became the wife of Hades and Queen of the Underworld. Demeter is then consumed with rage and sorrow which became the origin and existance of winter.
The myth in a part of the time line explained why seasons exist in this world we live in. It also show eternal relationship between mother and daughter where Demeter would defy Zeus and the happiness of mankind in order to retrieve her daughter from Hades.
Work Cited: http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/papers/paolicchidemeter/demeter.html

Comments

[timshel]

I liked how you tied a love song with the quote " Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels." This example shows the irony in the title brilliantly.