Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay Example

Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay Example Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Paper Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Paper Essay Topic: The Love Song Of J alfred Prufrock T. S. Elliot, the speaker is Froufrou himself. He is debating with the two conflicting sides of his personality. One wants him to propose love, the other wants him to hold back. The setting Is most likely In the early asses or so, taking Into consideration the afternoon tea, the shawls the ladles wear, and the skirts that trail along the floor(102). The situation Is fairly straightforward In some respects. Alfred Froufrou is on his way to a tea In the mid-afternoon and Is indecisive as to whether he should declare his love or not. Figurative language is cost abundant in this poem. Throughout, parts of the city are personified as being human while Froufrou is personified as being less than human. The yellow fog and the sky which is like a patient appear intelligent to the reader of the poem. On the other hand, Froufrou thinks of himself as a crab which should be scuttling across the floor of the sea or a senile old man who wears flannel trousers. This evidence the city and nature which are the yellow fog and the sky are taking mastery over Froufrou. They have become king. The phrase, But as If a magic lantern threw the nerves In tatters on the screen(105) has thematic Importance as well. A magic lantern Is a movie projector; hence, Froufrou is viewing his life and thought as a movie with a predetermined end. This predetermined end Is that his love would not Like him and that he would fall In his proposal of love. Irony exists In the title, for this poem Is not a livelong but rather a piece mourning a mans fear to propose love. Nearly all of Frocks allusions are overstatement. He speaks of himself as one decapitated and one absolutely banned from telling his story of love. This, however, is not the case as Froufrous only limitation is himself. Before moving on, it is imperative that a precise view of J. Alfred Froufrous personality be extrapolated. First of all, Frock is in a state of terrible uncertainty. He is both the you and l in line 1, symbolizing his internal conflict. Such lines as, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient theorized upon a table(2-3) and When I am pinned and wriggling against the wall, Then how should I vividly portray Froufrous own sense of paralysis. He feels that he has no control over the situation whatsoever. Furthermore, e thinks himself totally unfit to take up a courtship. Statements like They will say: School his hair is growing ) and They will say: DHOW his legs and arms are thin(44) express his inner lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. Froufrou worries about the rebuke of mainstream society for his expression of love and does not want to disturb the universe(46) lest all his faults are revealed. He fears rejection from his own lover as well. Would it have been worthwhile If one, settling a pillow or throwing Off shawl, And turning toward the window, should say: that is not it at al, That is not what I meant, at all'(106-110). The final piece of this poem that needs to be examined in order to unlock Froufrous personality Is the opening epigraph. This epigraph is from Dents Inferno and If translated Into English it reads thus: If I believed my answer were being given to someone who would ever return to the world, this flame would shake no more. But since no one has ever returned alive from this depth, Is what I hear Is true, I will answer you without fear of disgrace. This passage resonates with Froufrou, for he is in a hell himself. A hell of his own thoughts an Nonsensical. He cannot rolling enamels to ace one way or another. Moreover, Nils own worries and qualms about himself are near tortuous. The Livelong of J. Alfred Froufrou contains numerous allusions to other literature. Three of the most striking allusions are those to John the Baptist, Lazarus, and Hamlet. First, the allusion to John the Baptist reveals the relationship of society to Froufrou. Society has decapitated Froufrou and discouraged him from fully expressing his love . The allusion to Lazarus is tied to Froufrou in that Just as Lazarus was unable to tell his story of hell to those n Earth, Froufrou is unable, or thinks he is unable to declare his love to his girlfriend. The allusion to Hamlet is the most important of all. Froufrou is quite similar to Hamlet in that both are procrastinators. Still, Hamlet decided to force the moment to its crisis while Froufrou Just apathetically pushed aside the moment of climax and went on with his sterile, boring life. He decided not to risk the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. In general, the tone of this poem is one of near absolute despair. The rottenness of inner-city life provides a depressing undertone. Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster shells(6-7). The impersonality of the city is well pictured by Elliot here. It with its yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes is the backdrop for the internal conflict of a Froufrou who is exhausted with life. The inner-city also stifles Froufrou. I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of silent seas(73-74). In short, city life is the very thing that is the bane of Froufrous love. A striking theme in this poem is that urbanity paralyzes the will. Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent To lead you to an overwhelming question(8-10). The streets, or rather urban life, are a great factor in Froufrous indecisiveness. He sees the impersonal world about him and feels discouraged. Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows(70-72). This passage once again reveals the mellowing nature of city life. The very nature of the inner-city is to oppress. In the large metropolis there is no opportunity for recreation, no chance to smell fresh air from the countryside, no silence, no freedom. This excerpt shows how the city naturally leads to apathy: The yellow fog that rubs its back on the window- panes Lingered in the pools that stand in drains Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys Curled once about the house and fell 5, 18, 19, 22). Here the smog of the inner city has been personified. It itself reeks of yellow cowardice. It rubs on windows, lingers in pools, stands by as soot falls upon it, ND falls asleep. The yellow fog had no type of invigorating effect at all. Rather, it led towards tiredness and apathy. The whole next stanza shows the effect of this city upon Froufrou. He decides that there will be time(23) for a hundred indecision(32) and leans toward not disturbing the universe and not disturbing the women who come and go Talking of Michelangelo(35-36). Clearly, Froufrou has become apathetic as a result of an impersonal city and an impersonal society which is represented by the women. Finally, the urban life is an agent of deception. It asses Froufrou to believe that there will be time yet for a hundred indecision, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of a toast and tea(32-34), while in fact, the eternal Footman holds Froufrous coat at the door, waiting for him to die. Urbanity veils death from Froufrou and in so doing killed all his spirit. For truly, ten Tear AT tenant can De ten greatest motivator. I en clay also sleeves Protract auto his love and his own self. I grow old grow old 1 shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think they will sing to It is society that forces Froufrou into believing he is too old to be adventurous. It is the dead urban lifestyle that makes him feel he has lost his chance for love. The dirty inner city had such far- reaching effects as making Froufrou think that the mermaids or his lover would never sing to him. For indeed, they could have if his apathy and fear of retribution had not been king. This passage is central to everything Elliot is saying. It preaches of defeatism, the giving in to a brutal world. What man ought to do, though, is overcome such adversity through strength of mind. In todays society, the trend towards urbanism is equally dangerous to strength of mind. It is the cause of a rise in violence. Depression, suicide, low morale, and low ambition can be linked to it. For urbanity in and of itself is antithetical to all the human race has strove for. Instead of upholding beauty, it diminishes it, and instead of nurturing love and relationship, the city quells such feeling through impersonality. It is not progress, but regression. Another interpretation of these facts is that procrastination, which has been linked to age in this poem, has a sort of snowball effect. The older Froufrou grows, the less likely he will propose his love and the more he thinks about the paradoxical situation he has found himself in, the more he fears approaching his love. This theme resonates on a much less complex level than the first but is much more applicable. Take risks and live lively or such things as urbanity, society, age, and fear will grow upon you and squelch all adventurous spirit.

The May Revolution in Argentina

The May Revolution in Argentina In May of 1810, word reached Buenos Aires that the King of Spain, Ferdinand VII, had been deposed by Napoleon Bonaparte. Rather than serve the new King, Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother), the city formed its own ruling council, essentially declaring itself independent until such time as Ferdinand could reclaim the throne. Although initially an act of loyalty to the Spanish crown, the â€Å"May Revolution,† as it came to be known, was eventually a precursor to independence. The famous Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires is named in honor of these actions. Viceroyalty of the River Platte The lands of the eastern southern cone of South America, including Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay, had been steadily growing in importance for the Spanish crown, mostly because of revenues from the lucrative ranching and leather industry in the Argentine pampas. In 1776, this importance was recognized by the establishment of a Viceregal seat in Buenos Aires, the Viceroyalty of the River Platte. This elevated Buenos Aires to the same status as Lima and Mexico City, although it was still much smaller. The wealth of the colony had made it a target for British expansion. Left to Its Own Devices The Spanish were correct: the British had their eye on Buenos Aires and the rich ranching land it served. In 1806-1807 the British made a determined effort to capture the city. Spain, its resources drained from the devastating loss at the Battle of Trafalgar, was unable to send any help and the citizens of Buenos Aires were forced to fight off the British on their own. This led many to question their loyalties to Spain: in their eyes, Spain took their taxes but did not hold up their end of the bargain when it came to defense. The Peninsular War In 1808, after helping France overrun Portugal, Spain was itself invaded by Napoleonic forces. Charles IV, King of Spain, was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII. Ferdinand, in turn, was taken prisoner: he would spend seven years in luxurious confinement in the Chà ¢teau de Valenà §ay in central France. Napoleon, wanting someone he could trust, put his brother Joseph on the throne in Spain. The Spanish despised Joseph, nicknaming him â€Å"Pepe Botella† or â€Å"Bottle Joe† because of his alleged drunkenness. Word Gets Out Spain desperately tried to keep news of this disaster from reaching its colonies. Since the American Revolution, Spain had kept a close eye on its own New World holdings, fearing that the spirit of independence would spread to its lands. They believed that the colonies needed little excuse to cast off Spanish rule. Rumors of a French invasion had been circulating for some time, and several prominent citizens were calling for an independent council to run Buenos Aires while things got sorted out in Spain. On May 13, 1810, a British frigate arrived in Montevideo and confirmed the rumors: Spain had been overrun. May 18-24 Buenos Aires was in an uproar. Spanish Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros de la Torre pleaded for calm, but on May 18, a group of citizens came to him demanding a town council. Cisneros tried to stall, but the city leaders would not be denied. On May 20, Cisneros met with the leaders of the Spanish military forces garrisoned in Buenos Aires: they said they would not support him and encouraged him to go ahead with the town meeting. The meeting was first held on May 22 and by May 24, a provisional ruling junta which included Cisneros, Creole leader Juan Josà © Castelli, and commander Cornelio Saavedra was created. May 25 The citizens of Buenos Aires did not want former Viceroy Cisneros to continue in any capacity in the new government, so the original junta had to be disbanded. Another junta was created, with Saavedra as president, Dr. Mariano Moreno, and Dr. Juan Josà © Paso as secretaries, and committee members Dr. Manuel Alberti, Miguel de Azcuà ©naga, Dr. Manuel Belgrano, Dr. Juan Josà © Castelli, Domingo Matheu, and Juan Larrea, most of whom were creoles and patriots. The junta declared itself rulers of Buenos Aires until such time as Spain was restored. The junta would last until December 1810, when it was replaced by another one. Legacy May 25 is the date celebrated in Argentina as the Dà ­a de la Revolucià ³n de Mayo, or May Revolution Day. Buenos Aires famous Plaza de Mayo, today known for protests by family members of those who disappeared during Argentinas military regime (1976-1983), is named for this turbulent week in 1810. Although it was intended as a show of loyalty to the Spanish crown, the May Revolution actually started the process of independence for Argentina. In 1814 Ferdinand VII was restored, but by then Argentina had seen enough of Spanish rule. Paraguay had already declared itself independent in 1811. On July 9, 1816, Argentina formally declared independence from Spain, and under the military leadership of Josà © de San Martà ­n was able to defeat Spains attempts to retake it. Source: Shumway, Nicolas. Berkeley: The University of California Press, 1991.