The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Quotes
Shmoop will make you a better lover...of quotes
ALL QUOTES POPULAR BROWSE BY AUTHOR BROWSE BY SOURCE BROWSE BY TOPIC BROWSE BY SUBJECTLET us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherised upon a table;
Context
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is one of the most famous poems ever. It's also one of the most confusing. (That's T.S. Eliot for you.)
What's happening here? It sounds romantic, that's for sure. If we assume that our title dude, J. Alfred Prufrock, is a straight man and is actually the one narrating (hello, dramatic monologue!), we're guessing he's inviting a woman to go...somewhere. The place ends up being some winding, dirty streets of a big, foggy city that looks a lot like London.
Want to know what happens next? Check out our summary.
Where you've heard it
Grammar nerds love to quote this one as grammar gone wrong.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
If you're asking someone out, it's a 1. If you're just randomly quoting Eliot, knock it up a few pegs.