Blog 3

Have you experienced, or do you know someone who has experienced any of the situation described in “The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock”? Tell their or YOUR story about what it feels like to be him. 

T.S Eliot’s poem, ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ describes the erratic experience of tortured psyche of the 20^th century modern man, a survivor of WW1 with a romantic interest to which he hesitates to pursue.  The language is reflective of many traits that can perhaps be found in the modern centennial, with overeducated, neurotic and emotionally stilted. 

Whilst, I cannot empathize with the revelations that took place such as men traumatized by war having an abrupt new outlook, on newly educated women reflecting reformation in society. I can somewhat empathize the perception of a fractured and alienated outlook towards life where we are hesitant to make even the slightest of changes. Whether we should bite the “peach” causing radical change, or if we can bite in the first place? 

Many issues have taken place in the modern world reflective of the surrounding circumstances affecting not just me but many individuals around the world. In the modern age there are not many I know that hold a faithful nor positive outlook to the future of their world, me included. Bleached of any real hope that may remain. Some may fight for radical change yet whether efficient or not has remained to be a debate. 

And yet, I am hesitant in radical change because I mourn in concern over the inconsequential effects it may have. Prufrock says in the last stanza “Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”  suggests inevitability of the destructive nature of the modern world. Many man-made objects have shown their toxic effects on the individual.  

The most progressive of humanities contemporary inventions is the internet, that has shown a toxic effect towards my views through its overtly inhumane information processing. Viral misinformation has become the norm, with journalism being rendered as mere click-bait with provocative articles made to get attention rather than truth. All this information presented to me, makes me neurotic at the thought that none of it may be true due lack of fact-checking made, saturating it with overly processed information. I cannot bring myself, someone overtly aware of these vicious cycles, to correct those misled because It has spread like wildfire, unable to be suppressed till the damage is done. 

Much of it presents itself as social media and yet I feel the loneliest when I am on Facebook, envious of others’ lives as reflect neurotically at my own in pessimistic spite. I feel more incompetent at my inability to communicate with another individual, to reconnect in a time of need. In a space where all can access none can truly signal one another. It is a barren feeling.