Modernism in Prufrock serves as a powerful lens through which T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock explores identity, alienation, and existential uncertainty. Emerging as a literary and artistic movement between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, modernism reshaped art and culture by rejecting Romantic traditions and embracing innovation. Eliot’s use of techniques like stream of consciousness and fragmented narrative exemplifies the disjointed reality of a world transformed by industrialization, scientific discoveries, and social upheavals.

Modernism in Prufrock: Identity and the Self

A hallmark of modernism is its preoccupation with self and identity, distinct from Romanticism’s focus on emotion and personal expression. In Prufrock, Eliot uses the narrator’s internal struggle to find meaning in a fragmented, impersonal world. Prufrock’s question, “Do I dare / Disturb the universe?” summarizes his hesitation and self-doubt. While he assures himself that there will be “time for all the works and days of hands”, this reflects not confidence but a universal human tendency to delay action in the face of existential uncertainty. Eliot universalizes Prufrock’s internal conflict, making it a commentary on the search for meaning in a transient world.

Alienation and Urban Realism in Eliot’s Poem

Alienation is another cornerstone of modernism. Prufrock represents this theme as a passive observer rather than an active participant. His reflections – “I have known them all already, known them all – / Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons” – highlight his detachment from the social gatherings he describes. The narrator’s sense of being an outsider is reinforced by the melancholic imagery of mermaids singing “each to each”, coupled with the bleak admission, “I do not think that they will sing to me”. This alienation extends to self-perception, as Prufrock imagines himself not as a hero like Hamlet but as “an attendant lord, one that will do / To swell a progress, start a scene or two”.

Modernism: A Break from Romantic Traditions

Modernist literature rejected Romanticism’s focus on nature, opting instead for urban realism. Prufrock juxtaposes the dusty, industrial cityscape with the pointless rituals of bourgeois social life. The “yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes” and the “soot that falls from chimneys” evoke a polluted, lifeless urban world. Inside, the setting shifts to “the room where women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo”, highlighting the triviality of intellectual pretensions in such environments. While nature is present in Prufrock’s fantasies, such as the imagined chambers of the sea, these images are fleeting and overshadowed by the inescapable realities of the city. This contrast reinforces Prufrock’s estrangement and reflects the broader modernist critique of industrialization and its impact on human experience.

Fragmentation and Symbolism

Modernist works often embrace fragmentation to reflect the chaotic, disjointed nature of contemporary life. Eliot’s Prufrock exemplifies this through its collage of disconnected images, ideas, and symbols. Michael Webster notes that modernist poetry often comprises “discontinuous fragments” that convey beauty amidst chaos. In Prufrock, symbolic references are abundant, such as Prufrock’s comparison of himself to “a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas”, which evokes feelings of insignificance and detachment. He also envisions an idyllic underwater escape, imagining himself “in the chambers of the sea / By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown”, a fleeting vision shattered by the intrusion of reality: “Till human voices wake us, and we drown”. These fragmented images reflect Prufrock’s struggle to construct meaning amidst the chaos of modern life.

Stream of Consciousness

Eliot’s use of stream of consciousness and interior monologue is central to Prufrock‘s modernist character. These techniques engage readers in the narrator’s fragmented thoughts, exposing his anxieties and indecision. The non-linear narrative transitions between Prufrock’s inner musings and external observations, such as when he abruptly shifts from mundane concerns – “Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?” – to lofty reflections on mortality. His introspective tone heightens the poem’s themes of alienation, as his self-revealing thoughts expose a profound fear of rejection and his inability to connect meaningfully with others.

The Scepticism of Communication in Prufrock

A defining feature of Prufrock is its modernist scepticism about the reliability of language as a medium for communication. Prufrock’s persistent questioning—“Do I dare?” and “How should I presume?” – reveals his paralyzing fear of misunderstanding or rejection. The symbolic tea parties and polite conversations he describes – “After the cups, the marmalade, the tea, / Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me” –highlight the emptiness of social rituals and the superficiality of human connections. This breakdown of communication reflects a broader modernist critique of the inadequacies of language in an era of uncertainty and fragmentation.

T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock stands as a typical modernist poem, capturing themes of fragmented identity, alienation, and existential despair. Through innovative techniques such as stream of consciousness, symbolism, and non-linear narrative, Eliot vividly portrays the inner turmoil of a man struggling with questions of meaning and connection in a disenchanted world. Prufrock’s hesitations – “In a minute there is time / For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse” – and his ultimate resignation capture the anxieties of the modern age, making the poem a timeless reflection of the human condition in a fractured, impersonal society.