Ulysses and Prufrock have opposing worldviews due to their different experiences, or in some cases lack of experiences. Tennyson uses assertive diction when he describes his character, Ulysses, in the poem. While T.S. Eliot chooses to use timid diction in order to show Prufrock’s internal feelings. Though both men are faced with challenges, the contrast in personality, which can be seen through their voices, causes them to answer differently to the hard question life throws their way. The structure of these two poems, although both dramatic monologues, varies greatly. In Tennyson’s “Ulysses”, he uses blank verse, which is symbolic of Ulysses orderly life. As the poem continues, one can see the structure becoming more defined as Tennyson…show more content… Tennyson also shows his character’s confidence through structure by using short, emphatic sentences. This assertiveness can be seen when Ulysses says, “I am Become a name” (11). Whereas Eliot uses many rhetorical questions such as “Do I Dare?” (38), to show that Prufrock is passive and apprehensive. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is written in free verse displaying that there is no order in his life. Although there is no rhyme or meter, Eliot uses a refrain to reveal that Prufrock is only comfortable in one setting. Alfred Prufrock is unable to put himself forward even in a tea party with the women, which is the one place he feels safe. As a reader we not only know Prufrock is timid based on the structure of the poem, but also the important allusions Eliot employs. One of the many allusions Eliot compares Prufrock to is Lazarus from the bible. This parallelism strengthens Eliot’s argument that Prufrock is too fearful of what people will think of him. Lazarus died and “[came] back from the dead,/ [Came] back to tell you all” (940); however, Prufrock is saying even if he knew the secrets of…show more content… Both of these men are questioning human existence, but they ultimately come to grasp the reality of life in different ways. On the one hand, Ulysses chooses to be excited for the next location in his journey, the afterlife. Whereas, Prufrock is afraid to put himself out there and be vulnerable. I believe Ulysses is able to think this way because his life has been full of adventures and now he is just waiting on the next one to come. He truly accepts everything, including the good and bad, by saying, “I will drink/ Life to the lees” (6) because he has lived his life to the fullest. The trapped feeling Prufrock feels is a stark contrast to the idea that the world is free for Ulysses to explore. This feeling of confinement is not only symbolized through the women, who represent society judging his ideas, but also “the yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes” (15). This fog represents “the hopelessness of a limited vision” (Murphy) that eventually causes him “to think of himself only as he imagines others think of him (Murphy). As Prufrock lets society get to him mentally, one can see that he epitomizes the angsty modern man going through World War
