It is assumed that j. alfred prufrock is a character that t. s. eliot creates through the use of dramatic monologue. using this method, the speaker addresses a silent listener and sometimes reveals qualities that he or she later may regret sharing.
"and i have known the arms already, known them all —
arms that are braceleted and white and bare
(but in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair! )
is it perfume from a dress
that makes me so digress?
arms that lies along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
and should i then presume?
and how should i begin?
. .
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?
i should have been a pair or ragged claws
scuttling across the floors of silent seas."
. .
compare the oral readings of the poem with your written reading. write a summary paragraph that evaluates which interpretation of the poem you prefer. use evaluation criteria and details from each reading to explain your reasoning.