liot summed up the entire reasoning of Prufrock in the following line, "And in short, I was afraid."(l 86 Eliot) Prufrock spent his entire life in a wasteland, because he did not have the courage to live. At this point he knew that there was no opportunity to regain the years that he lost. In lines 92-98 Eliot said, "To have squeezed the universe into a ball To roll it towards some overwhelming question, To say: 'I am Lazarus, come from the dead, Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all'- If one, settling pillow by her head, Should say: 'That is not what I meant at all. That is not it, at all.'"(ll. 92-98 Eliot) These lines showed how desperately he wanted a second chance at life. This second section illustrated a change in the personality of J. Alfred Prufrock. The change just came too late. The vast part of his life had escaped him. The final section of the poem J. Alfred Prufrock begins to actually live. He now understood that taking some chances are worth the possible risks. He now wanted to grow old and enjoy his final years. The following lines revealed his new outlook on life, "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."(ll. 122-124 Eliot) The Prufrock of the first half of the poem would have never done anything quite so daring. When Eliot mentioned the mermaids, it showed that Prufrock now searched for love. The mermaids also showed that his imagination had been sparked. For the final part of Prufrock's life, there was a tiny bit of hope. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" was a silent cry for help. Prufrock entered into a world where he could not survive. He became a man with no life. In the end he desired for a second chance. He wanted a ...
