Module B Flashcards
Self-Consciousness and doubt shown through fear of judgement (Prufrock)
Imperative: “they will say how his hair is growing thin” - own insecurities as an excuse to not engage in social interaction, showing loss of meaningful human connection
Superficiality of life - life is formulated and predictable, leading to the loss of pleasure and meaning (Prufrock)
Metaphor: “spit out the butt-ends of my days”
Prufrock’s sense of paranoia, displaying his ineptitude to find and make human connection and the sterile nature of society (Prufrock)
Synecdoche: “I have known the eyes already”
Reinforces the broader concerns of Eliot’s work, whilst cementing the poems cyclical nature representative of Eliot’s views that modern society is in a state of paralysis (Prufrock)
Final Line: “Till human voices wake us and we drown”
Cyclical monotony of existence, confining the speakers freedom to night. The formulated working schedules is highlighted as night becomes a period when society is “burnt out”, where any attempt to seek communication or individuality is met by a desolate environment (Preludes)
Temporal Referencing: “six o’clock, the burnt out ends of days”
Compares individuals to generally unnoticeable birds, showing the loss of identity experienced by society (Preludes)
Metaphor: “You heard the sparrows”
Synthesis the concerns of Prufrock in “preparing a face”, with the notion of existing rather than living accentuated by Eliot’s reference to individuals as “…” (Preludes)
“Masquerades” - society has decayed into one and people have lost their uniqueness and individuality
Supports Eliot’s view that in order for the world to revolve, people must be prepared to sacrifice (Preludes)
Biblical Allusion: “infinitely gentle, infinitely suffering”
Deepening psychological journey of Eliot’s persona but also how despite time changing, society remains dysfunctional and disjointed (Rhapsody)
Temporal Referencing: “twelve o’clock”, “half-past one”
Through the exploration of the sub consciousness, Eliot draws parallels to a dysfunctional society, depicting the inability to fulfil purpose due to the lack of agency of the modern individual, mirroring his distaste with the modernist society (Rhapsody)
Objective correlative items such as the “broken spring”
Eliot’s purpose of the poem can be captured in the … is symbolic of both the inability to fulfil purpose with its usual bright red colour and romantic imagery subverted in favour of inevitable death; both consequences of the onset of modernism (Rhapsody)
Eliot’s purpose of the poem can be captured in the visceral simile: “Like a madman shakes a dead geranium”
Sense of impending mortality is evoked (Rhapsody)
The final line: “Sleep, prepare for life / The last twist of the knife”, in which the rhyme scrutinises the monotonous daily routine which will result in the metaphorical death of Eliot’s society.
Highlights the dichotomous desire of the suffering individual; stuffed with knowledge, yet lacking spirituality renders this knowledge superficial, prompting self-reflection in the reader, allowing Eliot to achieve his purpose (Hollow Men)
Oxymoronic Juxtaposition of “hollow”, yet “stuffed” combined with the inclusive pronoun “we”
Humanity is capable, but their existence is not solidified due to a lack of spirituality and hence, being unable to find a purpose (Hollow Men)
Oxymoron: “Shape without form”
Links from Preludes describing society as a “masquerade” as Eliot refers to the fact that society “…”, conveying Eliot’s belief that people pretend they have fulfilment in life in order to protect themselves from the horrors of death (Hollow Men)
“wear such deliberate disguises”
