Week #9.
Reflection:
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" has an ironic title because it is definitely not your typical "love story". It is about a middle aged man whom has self-esteem issues with his appearance, therefore he finds it hard to look past those flaws. His insecurity has not allowed him to live life adventurously but rather bland, with everyday being the same. Though he tries to talk to women, his timidity is still apparent and forces him to shrink back and away from fear of rejection or judgement. Apart from the content, this poem is like a love song in many ways. There are repetitions or "refrains" such as "toast and tea and cakes" or "how should i presume?", and constant references to the colour "yellow". There is also a rhyming that often is found in love songs such as "the women come and go talking of Michelangelo". There are many end rhymes and the end of sentences for example: hotels/oyster shells, window-panes/drains, thin/chin, in-decisions/visions/revisions just to name a few. These add a certain rhythm to the poetry though I do not see a consistent pattern, though I may be wrong. One other thing that adds rhythm to this "love song" is the different sections or "verses" where a theme is repeated. The third and fourth stanzas start with "And indeed there will be time". Similarity is found in the stanzas that start with "For I have known them already, known them all". The stanzas that begins with: "And would it have been worth it, after all" also end in a response "That is not at all, That is not what I meant at all." Therefore there are many apparent characteristics of this poem that do make it a love song, though it is not a love song of two people, its Prufrock's own love song perhaps to the mermaids he will never get to share love with.
Looking Ahead:
The greek myth story about Persephone and Demeter has many universal themes in it. Season changes are often associated with the Greek mythical Gods and how their emotions affect the climate changes. This was Demeter's job, or power, to be able to control the agricultural harvests with her emotions. Another universal theme in Greek mythology is the trading of deals where the Gods would compromise to a solution in order to keep the earthly world at peace.
When Persephone returns in the spring, Demeter is content and gives sunshine therefore the flowers bloom however when Persephone needs to return to the underworld, she cries and winter comes when all the crops die and there's no warmth in the weather just like in Demeter's heart.
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" has an ironic title because it is definitely not your typical "love story". It is about a middle aged man whom has self-esteem issues with his appearance, therefore he finds it hard to look past those flaws. His insecurity has not allowed him to live life adventurously but rather bland, with everyday being the same. Though he tries to talk to women, his timidity is still apparent and forces him to shrink back and away from fear of rejection or judgement. Apart from the content, this poem is like a love song in many ways. There are repetitions or "refrains" such as "toast and tea and cakes" or "how should i presume?", and constant references to the colour "yellow". There is also a rhyming that often is found in love songs such as "the women come and go talking of Michelangelo". There are many end rhymes and the end of sentences for example: hotels/oyster shells, window-panes/drains, thin/chin, in-decisions/visions/revisions just to name a few. These add a certain rhythm to the poetry though I do not see a consistent pattern, though I may be wrong. One other thing that adds rhythm to this "love song" is the different sections or "verses" where a theme is repeated. The third and fourth stanzas start with "And indeed there will be time". Similarity is found in the stanzas that start with "For I have known them already, known them all". The stanzas that begins with: "And would it have been worth it, after all" also end in a response "That is not at all, That is not what I meant at all." Therefore there are many apparent characteristics of this poem that do make it a love song, though it is not a love song of two people, its Prufrock's own love song perhaps to the mermaids he will never get to share love with.
Looking Ahead:
The greek myth story about Persephone and Demeter has many universal themes in it. Season changes are often associated with the Greek mythical Gods and how their emotions affect the climate changes. This was Demeter's job, or power, to be able to control the agricultural harvests with her emotions. Another universal theme in Greek mythology is the trading of deals where the Gods would compromise to a solution in order to keep the earthly world at peace.
When Persephone returns in the spring, Demeter is content and gives sunshine therefore the flowers bloom however when Persephone needs to return to the underworld, she cries and winter comes when all the crops die and there's no warmth in the weather just like in Demeter's heart.