Prufrock conveys his apprehension and uncertainty as he attempts to tell a woman of his love for her. When Prufrock says, "Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse" (lines 45-48), it shows that he is not very confident, he changes and rethinks everything, he overanalyzes, and he is very doubtful. Prufrock monstrates that he has decided not to express his love in lines 87-109 by showing that he fears making a commitment to a woman. He directly says that he is afraid and he begins to second guess about how his woman would not be happy about her life spent with him. The monologue displays that Prufrock sees himself as a man divided in two parts. One part of him is very aware of what he wants in life, and what he wants is a woman to commit his life to.
Scared child
The "Little Miss Muffet" scenario explained by Den...
Drawing of T. S. Eliot by Simon Fieldhouse. Deutsc...The other part of him denies his hopeful dreams with pessimistic thoughts. When Prufrock says, "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons," (line 51), it is easy to understand that Prufrock is a very meticulous man and knows exactly what he wants. However, knowing what you want is not the same as obtaining what you want. When Prufrock says, "Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse" (lines 45-48), it is very clear that he is very indecisive and self-conscious. Prufrock has trouble finding the right woman because of his lack of confidence.