These twelve lines capture the essence of all that is phenomenal about the poem The Love Song by J. Alfred Prufrock and the author TSEliot. In these lines we see the carefully chosen allusions, repetition, lyricism, and maintenance of ambiguity that distinguish Eliot from other modernist poets. Furthermore, the way these lines are written leads to greater understanding of the speaker. This brings the reader closer to his goal: to understand and heed Prufrock's warning by not following his example. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Like most of Eliot's poems, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a collection of smaller, more solitary images. When viewed on a larger scale, it is Eliot's ability to transform these smaller parts into a dynamic and cohesive whole. When analyzing The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock it is necessary to analyze the individual parts to gain a greater appreciation for the whole. By doing so we might also better understand why we create a particular larger image or sensation from the collected parts. We look at these images the same way we look at the painting in a large pointillist artwork. The opening line of the selection, “And it would have been worth it, after all,” captures the nature of the entire poem. The speaker, Prufrock, is questioning his own action, or inaction, as the case may be. However, if we look closely, we can see that not only is Prufrock regretting a decision he has made or is unwilling to make; he is debating whether to repent or not. The repetition of this sentiment three lines later is quite telling. It illustrates the extent to which Prufrock truly doubts himself. It is this self-doubt that characterizes Prufrock throughout this poem and in his life. The very first image in this selection of poems is that of "cups, jam, tea". These images, very sweet, elaborate and imaginative, arouse a feeling of pomp. We therefore have a feeling for the world in which Prufrock lives, a society in which falsehood reigns. Although this is not expressed directly by Eliot, his use of the objective correlative evokes similar emotions to those that Fitzgerald is able to convey in his condemnation of the frivolous upper class in his novel The Great Gatsby. In this first image of frivolity we find the first allusion to selection. In typically "Eliotian" fashion, this is a dark allusion. The allusion is made to a collection of Rubaiyat (quatrains) written by Omar Khayyam (1048 - 1122) and translated from Farsi into English by Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883). While slight and dark, the allusion is incredibly apt. Because in the line that follows the “borrowed” one, we see that the speaker questions his own being. We can see direct parallels between the uncertainty of the speaker's being and Prufrock. A second and equally important allusion is found in the line "Having compressed the universe into a ball." The line is said to allude to the poem To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell, specifically Marvell's line, "Let us roll all our strength and everything." This line has a strong sexual connotation and is intended to illustrate the nature of Prufrock's desires and regrets. Slightly more subtle, however, is the irony found in the title and content of Marvell's poem. The poem itself is narrated by a man who tries to convince his lover to immediately have sexual intercourse, as he says, "But I always hear behind my back." This attitude is in direct contrast to Prufrock. While Prufrock reminds us "There will be time," the poem's narrator Marvell fears there won't be