Briefly discuss T. S. Eliot’ s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” poetic creation in terms of the themes, writing techniques and the image.
（1）THEME“THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK” PRESENTS THE MEDITATION OF AN AGING YOUNG MAN OVER THE BUSINESS OF PROPOSING MARRIAGE. THE POEM SUGGESTS AN IRONIC CONTRAST BETWEEN A PRETENDED “LOVE SONG” AND A CONFESSION OF THE SPEAKER’S INCAPABILITY OF FACING UP TO LOVE AND TO LIFE IN A STERILE UPPER-CLASS WORLD. PRUFROCK, THE PROTAGONIST OF THE POEM, IS NEUROTIC, SELF-IMPORTANT, ILLOGICAL AND INCAPABLE OF ACTION. HE IS A KIND OF TRAGIC FIGURE CAUGHT IN A SENSE OF DEFEATED IDEALISM AND TORTURED BY UNSATISFIED DESIRES.（2）WRITING TECHNIQUESTHE WRITING TECHNIQUE OF THE POEM IS DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE. USING THIS TECHNIQUE, THE CHARACTERS IN THE POEM ARE MADE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND ABOUT THEIR MINDS AND HEARTS. IN “LISTENING” TO THOSE ONE-SIDED TALKS, READERS CAN FORM THEIR OWN OPINIONS AND JUDGMENTS ABOUT PRUFROCK’S PERSONALITY AND ABOUT WHAT HAS REALLY HAPPENED.（3）IMAGETHE POEM USES MANY BLEAK IMAGES, SUCH AS “PATIENT ETHERIZED UPON A TABLE”, “HALF-DESERTED STREETS”, “YELLOW FOG”, “YELLOW SMOKE” AND SO ON. THE POEM IS INTENSELY ANTI-ROMANTIC WITH VISUAL IMAGES OF HARD, GRITTY OBJECTS AND EVASIVE, HELLISH ATMOSPHERE.
