Although more notable successes were to follow, such as the landmark publication of The Waste Land (1922), Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” remains one of his most frequently studied poems. Evocative, lyrical, and fragmented, it poignantly explores the divided self and the tragedy of inaction.
The unconscious mind. The enigmatic opening line of Eliot’s poem—“Let us go then, you and I”—has generated much speculation on the part of critics and biographers. Like many dramatic monologues, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” addresses an unseen listener; “Prufrock,” however, is unusual in that the listener remains not only unseen but unidentified throughout.
Eliot’s own remarks on the relations between the mysterious “you and I” have been subject to change over the years. In 1949 Eliot wrote to critic Kristian Smidt:
As for THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK anything I say now must be somewhat conjectural, as it was written so long ago that my memory may deceive me; but I am prepared to assert that the “you” in THE LOVE SONG is merely some friend or companion, presumably of the male sex, whom the speaker is at that moment addressing...
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