A Refreshing Analysis of T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

A Refreshing Analysis of T.S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† To say that The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a typical romantic ode to the wonders of love, as the title may suggest, is quite far from the truth. To the contrary, this poem enters the straggling mind of J. Alfred Prufrock, a man plagued with irresolution, and because of this irresolution will probably never realistically be in love with a woman. Love Song is a dive into Prufrocks inconsistent thought processes, and the foggy workings of his less-than-optimistic mind. Through bleak imagery, a wavering tone that feels timeless, and carefully connoted diction, T.S. Eliot portrays J. Alfred Prufrock as an uneasy, indecisive, and ultimately scared man. The first few lines of the poem set the scene as to what kind of content Prufrock has to offer. He uses a simile in comparing the evening, spread out against the sky, to a patient etherized upon a table (2-3). Its a fairly unappealing comparison, and it puts an awkward image in the readers mind from the beginning. He goes on to set the scene of a kind of tour through a city-like atmosphere: Let us go, through certain half-deserted streetsof restless nights in one-night cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants (4-7). Again, a bleak image is cast into the mind of the reader, reminiscent of a twisted Gotham City where no one would want to be unless accompanied by someone very dear a someone who Prufrock is not with. He goes on to make another type of etherized comparison later on, which adds to the bleak, uneasy feeling: And I have known the eyes already, known them all- The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase, And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, Then how should I begin To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways? And how should I presume? This stanza dives into Prufrocks uneasy nature through the use of carefully connoted diction (e.g., pin) that conveys imagery of a bug or animal ready to be dissected. He is describing what happens when he runs into people he may know: they fix [him] in a formulated phrase, and then pin him down, and when he is pinned and wriggling on the wall, he is then forced to interact with them and make a decision about how to go about saying how his day went. To almost everyone else in the world, this type of interaction is a daily occurrence of life, and usually isnt conveyed as a feeling of being pinned down. However, Prufrocks uneasy nature is very similar to that of The Catcher in the Ryes Holden Caulfield, in the fact that he really isnt one for lighthearted social interaction. Instead, every little detail of life, in Prufrocks eyes, is not considered an idle task, but a high-strung, uneasy chain of decisions. Throughout the poem, Prufrock seems to jog around in his mind, and is quite abstract with his thoughts. The result is a wavering, fragmented tone that further suggests Prufrocks indecisiveness and digressive habits. One of the subtle ways that Eliot adds to this wavering tone is the fact that no definite rhyme scheme is used throughout Love Song. For example, one stanza includes mostly rhyming words, ending lines with words such as dare, stair, and hair, and then thin, chin, and pin. But the next couple of lines in the stanza may have no rhyme pattern at all, and the same goes for the next stanza; its totally fragmented. This wavering rhyme scheme cleverly adds to the notion of an indecisive Prufrock. Besides the wavering rhyme scheme, the overall tone suggests that Prufrock is very uneasy and indecisive. Prufrock really does continually ask questions, always questioning things. This may seem normal, but considering the subject matter and the uneasy feeling connoted with them, this mode of thought does not come off as entirely healthy. There are close to 20 stanzas in Love Song, and in almost all of them, Prufrock is questioning something. Whether the subject matter consists of whether he should disturb the universe or not, or how he should deal with people who ask him how his day is, he is constantly questioning everything. He almost mockingly asserts his indecisive manners by saying Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse (45-48). Essentially, he is declaring that he can make a decision now, with only a minute left, but since in one minute there will be no time anyway, hes leaving it at that. This feeling of time passing too rapidly is present throughout the poem. More than a couple of times he says, And indeed there will be time, or a variation of this line, which not only adds to his irresolute manner, but also reiterates the fact that he often trails off and picks up another topic on a whim again, recalling Holden Caulfields digressive tendencies. Prufrock even directly refers to this tendency when he analyzes a womans arm in the lamplight; he says, It is perfume from a dress that makes me so digress? (65-66). He mentions, too, his awareness of the passage of time and of the fact that he is growing old by confirming that he is becoming slightly bald. Ultimately, this realization of mortality makes him afraid: And in short, I was afraid (86). Towards the end of the poem, the tone of Love Song seems to waver more and more, and Prufrock becomes even more of a shaky, uneasy, scared figure. Starting from line 120, he begins to trail off: I grow oldI grow old, filling the readers mind with an image of a man who sits silently, the world passing him by while he ponders questions without answers. The final stanza, solidifies the elusive nature of Prufrocks thoughts: We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown. Through Eliots use of bleak imagery, a wavering tone, and carefully connoted diction, Prufrock is portrayed as a highly uneasy, indecisive, and scared man. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is not a true love song, but instead a plunge into the shades-of-grey world of J. Alfred Prufrock, and ultimately the grave flaws of a fragmented mind.

GROW Model of Coaching Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

GROW Model of Coaching - Research Paper Example Coaching in the business world refers to providing necessary support to the subordinates in order to uplift their capabilities, attitudes, skills and behaviors in a manner that will produce high and/or desired outcomes. Coaching is performed in many categories such as life, health, sports, relationships, conflicts, business or performance etc. Various approaches have been proposed in each of these categories. In this topic, business or performance coaching will be studied based on the GROW model, and an analysis will be done to understand how GROW model can help the managers and their subordinates, as well as its impact on the organization. Conclusions will be drawn based on findings from the study conducted. What is GROW? The GROW model school of coaching was first developed by Sir John Whitmore, an athlete by profession (Wilson, 2011). GROW is a short form of goal, reality, opportunity and the will to do. The GROW model provides very specific approach to coaching, unlike other mode ls, which will help the coaches in any field as it provides a step-by-step approach to the process of coaching. The GROW model provides a wide range of options in every step for the coach to study, analyze and arrive at a solution. Goal: The goals stage usually precedes all as it involves discussion of the person’s objectives and aims in the short and long-term. The topic for discussion or the coaching session needs to be clarified before beginning any coaching-related activity. The coachee’s long-term aims need to be broken into short-term objectives that are realistic and achievable. This process will help in gaining the individual’s attention and commitment to the coaching process. Umicker asserts that coaching is the first activity that an employee experiences once he joins the organization, which is conducted in the form of orientation and training (McConnell, 2010). The expectations that are set during this period will help aligning the employees to the or ganizational goals, which is critical to the employees’ performance. Reality: The next step to coaching is to identify the real situation, or the reality. This would involve analyzing the current position or situation, and the obstacles that are hindering the coachee’s progress. The best way to undertake this process is to encourage self-assessment from the candidate and to avoid any sort of assumptions from either side. A very effective method for the supervisors or leaders to check reality is to be connected to their employees. An effective method that would assist this process is ‘management by wandering around,’ as explained by Peters and Austin (McConnell, 2010). Secondly, the coach needs to assess the significance and seriousness of the issue and the goal to the coachee; the coachee’s feelings associated with his/her current situation and the goal to be achieved; any other issues that the coachee might have. Opportunity: Once the reality is id entified, the range of options available at hand need to be explored along with the coachee. This process will be most effective when the coachee is encouraged to provide suggestions and ideas along with the coach offering suggestions after a careful examination. A range of options will help in better choices to be made. However, it is also important to note that the choice of option must not be completely vested with the coachee, considering his/her knowledge and