1. 1888 - 1965

2.  Born in St. Louis, MO  Grandfather founded Washington University  Graduated from Harvard; did post-graduate work at the Sorbonne in Paris  Moved to London just before WW I began  Gave up US citizenship in 1927; became a subject of the king of England  Worked in a bank; had a nervous breakdown; married an emotionally troubled woman; took up literature

4.  Etherized – put to sleep with ether before an operation; highly drugged  Overwhelming – overpowering with great numbers or force  Lingered – was slow to leave  Digress – take a side path; get away from the main idea when speaking or writing  Presume – to do something without clear permission; to take for granted

5.  Attendant – servant; assistant; helper  Politic – smart; crafty; shrewd  Cautious – alert; careful; not impulsive  Meticulous – very careful about every detail  Obtuse – insensitive; not quick-thinking; not sharp

6.  The speaker is a character named J. Alfred Prufrock.  He has no one to share his feelings with.  He feels he’ll never participate in life, so he indulges in fantasies.  He knows there are two sides to every issue, but he can’t act on any of this knowledge.

7.  Prufrock is very self-conscious.  He seeks the meaning of life and the nature of romantic love.  He tries unsuccessfully to find a place for himself in the world.  Throughout the poem, he can’t focus on one thing at a time.  The poem is a series of disjointed scenes that are psychologically related to the speaker’s half-formed thoughts.

8.  Epigraph – a quotation set at the beginning of a literary work  The epigraph in “The Love Song…” is from Dante’s Divine Comedy. The speaker is a man who has been sent to hell because he has given evil advice.  Prufrock is speaking from his own personal hell.

9.  Follow along with the audio and be prepared to do a group assignment.  Directions: Each of the eight assigned groups is to analyze the poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Look for the specific literary elements in your group's instructions. While you are not expected to find ALL of them, do a good representative sample. Be specific, giving precise line numbers and / or cuts from the text.  You will have a time limit of ___________________________ minutes.  Be prepared to then present your findings to the class.