The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock
What is the central subject of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?
The poem explores the insecurity, paralysis, and alienation of a modern man who cannot act on his desires.
What does Preludes primarily depict?
The bleakness, monotony, and spiritual emptiness of modern urban life.
What is the main subject of Rhapsody on a Windy Night?
A night-time walk through the city, exploring memory and the strangeness of modern life.
What is the central theme of The Hollow Men?
What is spiritual emptiness, paralysis, and the inability to act or find meaning?
What is the main story of Journey of the Magi?
to witness the birth of Christ, told as a spiritual reflection.
Define the technique stream of consciousness?
Stream of consciousness is a literary technique used to represent the continuous, unfiltered flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, and sensory impressions, mimicking the natural, non-linear way the mind works.
In Preludes, these brief, descriptive snapshots of city life—like “the burnt-out ends of smoky days”—show everyday moments and urban disconnection. What are they?
Vignettes.
he poem repeatedly mentions the street lamps that “widened” or “spread their light.” What do the street lamps symbolise?
What is guidance, observation, or the harsh clarity of reality in the city?
The hollow men are described as “headpiece filled with straw.” This image symbolises what?
mptiness, lack of substance, or spiritual hollowness
The Magi describe “the ways deep and the weather sharp.” What do these details emphasise
the difficulty, hardship, and discomfort of the journey
What are the motifs in the poem?
Time – “There will be time, there will be time” reflects Prufrock’s indecision and fear of aging.
Isolation/Alienation – Repeated images of lonely streets and social detachment highlight his inability to connect.
Indecision and Inaction – The “overwhelming question” motif recurs, symbolizing his paralysis.
Urban Decay – The “half-deserted streets” and “sawdust restaurants” reinforce the emptiness of modern life.
Eliot describes human activity in phrases like “the newspapers from vacant lots” and “the thousand sordid images.” This imagery emphasises what Modernist concern?
The alienation and dehumanisation of modern urban life.
The line “Midnight shakes the memory / As a madman shakes a dead geranium” uses this literary device to describe memory.
A simile.
The poem uses fragmented phrases like “Here we go round the prickly pear.” What is the effect of these nursery rhyme-like lines?
to show confusion, corruption, or the emptiness of culture and tradition
The poem mentions “three trees on the low sky.” What do these trees symbolise?
the journey’s end, the new life, or a reference to the crucifixion/Christian symbolism
: In “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” Eliot uses this device to show the monotony of existence.
a metaphor (life reduced to trivial, repetitive actions)
How does the poem’s structure—its irregular stanza breaks and fragmented narrative—reflect Modernist concerns?
Fragmentation mirrors dislocation, alienation, and the breakdown of traditional narrative in modern life.
Eliot writes about “street lamp, street lamp, / Evening, midnight, morning, afternoon.” Why does he repeat times and objects like this?
is to create a sense of monotony, routine, and the passage of time in the city?
The hollow men cannot act or communicate effectively. How does this reflect the poem’s broader theme?
The paralysis and moral/spiritual crisis of humanity after World War I.
The Magi feel alienated when they return home. How does this reflect a Modernist concern?
that major spiritual or personal change can create disconnection from ordinary life or society
The “overwhelming question” Prufrock cannot articulate symbolises this broader Modernist concern.
What is the inability to find meaning or certainty in modern life?
The recurring motif of light and darkness, including flickering street lamps, conveys a sense of what?
the contrast between awareness and spiritual emptiness, highlighting moral and emotional decay
The poem has a dream-like, sometimes unsettling atmosphere. Which Modernist technique does this reflect?
The use of surreal or fragmented imagery to reflect the unconscious and inner mind
The poem opens with “We are the hollow men / We are the stuffed men.” What literary device is Eliot using here?
metaphor, comparing people to hollow or lifeless figures
The speaker reflects that the journey meant both a birth and a kind of death. What does this paradox suggest?
hat spiritual transformation involves leaving old life or certainties behind