John Yowan
Honors English 11
Mr. Coate
November 7, 2004
Eliot’s “Love Song”
T.S. Eliot’s poem “Love Song”, written in 1917, does not depict modern society accurately. Eliot depicts modern society in a negative way. He believes modern society does not have the sense of community that is needed. Prufrock, the main character in the poem can be described as indecisive, and isolated. Prufrock wants to tell a lady that he loves her but is too afraid to say anything.
Humanity has always had its ups and downs in history. In 1917 Humanity was in one of its lower points. During the war many new technologies were made. Ten million military personnel died during the war. It is understandable that Eliot believed than most people were indecisive, and isolated from society.
The reason “Love Song” does not depict modern society accurately is because most people in society are not like Prufrock. Back when T.S. Eliot wrote the poem the world was just finishing it’s First World War. Many people of the time thought of modern society in a negative way. In addition they believed that the human race was being overrun with new technologies.
Society has been and will always be changing. Eliot was not writing about the Society of today. Eliot writes about a society of many changes, a time of war, when many people thought the human race was in ruins. Society today is a lot different than Society in 1917. Since then Society has changed for the better. Most People of today are not like Prufrock was, but instead many have the communication skills and are more positive than the way Eliot describes humanity.