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How is “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” an interior monologue?

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The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a notable literary work by T. S. Eliot. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.

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How is “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” an interior monologue? [NU: 2022]

An interior monologue is a narrative technique that reveals a character’s unspoken thoughts and feelings. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (1915) is not a direct story but an interior monologue. T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) presents Prufrock’s private thoughts, fears, and hesitations. His mind speaks openly through fragmented ideas. Let us see this. 

Private Thoughts: Prufrock shares his secret feelings with the reader throughout the poem. He says, 

“Do I dare disturb the universe?” 

Such questions show his inner conflict. The voice comes from his mind, not from external action.

Stream of Consciousness: The poem flows freely, like a mental stream. Ideas appear suddenly and shift quickly. The following line shows deep memory.

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” 

This free style reflects his mental wandering.

Self-Doubt and Fear: Prufrock’s mind is full of fear. He worries about baldness, thin arms, and rejection. He repeatedly questions, 

“How should I presume?”

This line shows his broken self-confidence. These hesitations mark the poem as an instance of inner speech.

Fragmented Images: The poem uses images of fog, sea, and mermaids. These pictures come from Prufrock’s imagination. They connect loosely, like thoughts in a nervous mind. The structure matches his restless and anxious inner voice.

In short, the poem is an interior monologue because it records Prufrock’s private voice. His self-doubt, fragmented images, and mental flow reveal the modern mind. Eliot makes readers hear the inner conflict of a lonely man.

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