Free Printable The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock

Worksheets

The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock

Total questions: 12

Worksheet time: 12mins

Name

Class

Date

PART A: In lines 2-3, the narrator describes the evening "spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table." What effect does this image have on the poem's meaning?

The unnatural image shows that, even though the poem is a "love song," Prufrock has little capacity to love.

The quote shows that Prufrock needs to be healed spiritually, like a patient needs to be healed physically

The image represents the unconscious mind, invoking the journey Prufrock takes to discover his deepest secrets.

The quote evokes a sense of numbness or paralysis, mimicking Prufrock's weariness and powerlessness in the face of making decisions.

PART B: Which of the following passages best supports the answer to Part A?

Lines 10-12

Lines 15-22

Lines 45-48

Lines 82-86

PART A: Which of the following best describes how Prufrock, the speaker, portrays himself in the poem?

He considers himself a failure in all aspects of life except for love.

He portrays himself as imaginative yet unappreciated as an artist.

He sees himself as a fallen hero and sacrificial martyr.

He portrays himself as lowly, unsure, and unimpressive.

PART B: Which TWO of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?

"In the room the women go / Talking of Michelangelo" (Lines 13-14)

"The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase, / And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, / When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall" (Lines 56-58)

"And I have known the arms already, known them all-- Arms that are braceleted and white and bare / (But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!)" (Lines 62-64)

"I should have been a pair of ragged claws / Scuttling across the floors of silent seas." (Lines 73-74)

"I am Lazarus, come from the dead, / Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all" (Lines 94-95)

PART A: Which of the following statements best summarizes the relationship between Prufrock and women?

Prufrock despises women because he thinks they are shallow for engaging in gossip.

Prufrock has a complicated relationship with women because he wants to connect but he is unable to approach them.

Women show obvious pity to Prufrock due to his timidity, loneliness, and shabby appearance.

Prufrock used to be able to socialize with women easily, but over the years he has lost his talent to woo women.

PART B: Which TWO of the following stanzas best support the answer to Part A?

Stanza 2

Stanza 4

Stanza 6

Stanza 9

Stanza 13

PART A: In lines 111-119, Prufrock references which Shakespearean tragedy?

Romeo and Juliet

Hamlet

Macbeth

King Lear

PART B: In lines 111-119, Prufrock references Shakespeare's Hamlet. How does this allusion serve to develop the overall meaning of the text?

Though Prufrock says he is "not Prince Hamlet," they actually share some similarities, like Hamlet's prolonged inaction, which makes Prufrock's indecisiveness seem nobler.

Though Prufrock says he is "not Prince Hamlet," he and Hamlet both have tragic love lives, thus framing the poem as a tragedy.

Prufrock stresses how different he is from Hamlet in order to highlight himself as braver and more heroic.

Prufrock stresses how different he is from Hamlet in order to highlight how he cannot overcome his indecisiveness and thus remains a supporting character in his own life.

True or False: Based on Ms. Arrington's previous lecture, the epigraph in the poem is important because it is a confession. Just like Guido da Montefeltro, Prufrock in this poem is confessing a dark truth about himself with the use of themes like hell, morality and mortality.

True

False

10.

Choose the best option that answers the following question: How does the repetition throughout the poem contribute to the poem's meaning?

The repetition, by going back and forth and repeating himself in circles, highlights Prufrock's anxiety and indecisiveness.

The repetition highlights his passion and strong feelings towards women and love, thus establishing himself as a modern day Romeo.

The repetition, by creating a cyclical rhythm, establishes that Prufrock is singing as if he is a lovesick songbird.

All of the above

11.

What type of allusion does the poet make by comparing Prufrock to "Lazarus?"

Literary

Biblical

Mythological

Historical / Political

12.

What type of allusion does the poet make by contrasting Prufrock to "Prince Hamlet?"