How does Eliot use fragmentation to portray alienation in his
poetry? Alienation is a key element that resinates in Eliots work, it is represented through fragmentation. His rejection of romantic ideas had led him to represent the truth as he saw it, the crisis found within humanity. His structure, form and consistent allusions which subvert our expectations and allows the audience to gather an interesting perspective on the plight of the individual during the era. Eliot challenges his audience perception of ideas such as spiritual emptiness, decay and landscapes through the poem The love song of Alfred Prufrock In the poem the love song of J Alfred prufrock it portrays alienation in various ways through fragmentation. The fictional character prufrock develops and shows his spiritual emptiness of life view and what pessimistic view of life. Eliot attempts to share this with the audience through the reader being a companion of prufrock developed through prufrock engagement of the audience let us go, you and I is a direct monologue bringing the audience as an inner companion through the half-deserted streets which the imagery shows the landscape as being a factor of creating his spiritual emptiness . Like a patient etherised upon a table at evening expresses that the life of these characters are highly dismal and rather gruesome event to occur reflecting the dullness and pessimistic outlook from prufrock. Eliot also displays prurocks spiritual emptiness as his lack to gain love from womens. Romance is a core aspect that can fulfil and balance the human need and desire . Prufrocks sexual desire sees himself wanting to talk to the women however his cowardice stops him from doing this as he is scared he will make a fool of himself This has done damage to prurock as he doesnt get what he wants and lacks love and sociability with the woman which is also a factor in determining his spiritual emptiness.
Decay is reflected heavily in the poem through reflecting the
world is falling apart. This is represented through the allusions and imagery shown that displays the growth of impact that decay has on society. Eliots outlook on the world and his personal and cultural practices reflect his feelings in the poem broadening the idea of decay. The burnt out ends can suggest a decay of its people smoking and losing hope to see what the next day holds for them or most prominently it shows a world of decay and dissolution that every day is like a day burnt out .When the world faces decay those who are trapped in it see it affecting them in various ways. The decay reflected in the poem can be highly comparable to prufrocks current state of mind and feeling. The decay happening in the poem displaces itself onto prufrock which is comparable that prufrock is decaying not necessary physical but emotional and mental state. Prufrock can also be seen in a culture of dissolution and he will never get a chance to change since everything around him is in a negative sense of placement The landscapes portrayed in this poem are highly disturbing. The seedy part of town , broken blind and half deserted street characterise the landscape to be a bad part of town and prufrock is related to this landscape due to himself being attached to this landscape and walking through the halfdeserted streets where he only walks . The landscape can show alienation due to its frightening and unwelcoming scene half deserted street is an imagery that attempts to burn a picture of the landscape in the readers mind and it is also an allusion through its direct and indirect meanings the audience can infer indirectly that it is a seedy part of town and it is not a good place to visit. However the audience should question why prufrock chose this landscape to walk and ponder instead of a better landscape. The alienation derived from fragmentation may have brought prufrock to come to this hideous landscape. It may be a place where prufrock considers himself to be worthy of going. Eliots cultural and persona understanding has
highly shaped the landscape to match prufrocks mood and
feelings in order to categorize where prufrock actually belongs In conclusion in Eliots work and poems particularly the love song of J.Alfred prufrock it has demonstrated the matter of alienation and how it can arise from fragmentation. The ideas that arise as a problem are the spiritual emptiness , decay and landscapes which I personally engage with the ideas give us more detail and understanding of prufrock the choices he makes that makes his life miserable which may have been experienced by T.S.Eliot may have experience prior to writing his poems.