1a. In the first section of the poem (lines 1–74), where is the speaker going? Whom is he going to visit? What time of day is it? What actions is the speaker considering?
2a. In the second section of the poem (lines 75– 111), what action is the speaker considering?
3a. In the third section of the poem (lines 112– 132), does the speaker consider large or insignificant actions?
4a. Identify the sea imagery used in the poem and what it reveals about the speaker's psychological state.
5a. How accurate is "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" as a portrayal of a modern person?
1b. How does the speaker view himself physically and emotionally? What details in stanza 3 emphasize the difficulty the speaker has in committing himself to word or action?
2b. Of what is the speaker afraid? What does the speaker confess to himself?
3b. Why does the speaker not think that the mermaids "will sing to me"? What happens when Prufrock begins to picture himself in a romantic scene? In what sense does reality intrude upon his daydreams?
4b. Explain in what ways "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a psychological study of a modern man.
5b. When you experience a moment of self-doubt, what strategies are effective in building a more self-confident picture of yourself?
Dramatic Monologue. In what dramatic situation is J. Alfred Prufrock? What does Prufrock reveal about himself in the dramatic monologue that makes him sympathetic or unsympathetic?
Allusion. Make a chart listing the allusions and explaining their meaning in the poem. One example has been done for you.
Meaning:
1. Write a letter to J. Alfred Prufrock, telling him how he exaggerates his shortcomings and building up his self-confidence.
2. Using a couple of the allusions in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," imagine yourself as Prufrock and write a dream description for a psychiatrist about a dream that you might have.
3. A parody is a literary work that imitates another work for humorous, often satirical, purposes. Write a parody, in free verse, on the topic of hesitation for a classmate to read.
Replacing Linking Verbs with Action Verbs. Rewrite each of the following sentences, using action verbs in place of linking verbs.
1. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is melancholy.
2. Prufrock gives the reader an invitation to walk through "certain half-deserted streets."
3. Prufrock is a man with many worries, including concerns about his baldness.
4. Prufrock's hesitations are sources of frustration for the reader.
5. Prufrock is, at times, the Fool.
Researching Allusions. With a partner, research the original texts below, noting where you located each source. Then explain how Eliot changed the references for his own purposes and what point these allusions make in the stated lines of the poem.
Hesiod "Works and Days" Line 29
William Shakespeare Act 1, scene 1, line 4, of Twelfth Night Line 52
Emily Dickinson "I cannot live with you" Line 89
Andrew Marvell "To His Coy Mistress" Line 92
