Hello!! Years ago I listened part of the poem on a movie, "Let us go then you and I" "Till human voices wake us..." Those lines were capable of steal my heart and it didn't take to much for me to begin memorize it. Since then years have passed and I still have the lines of the poem engrave in my heart. Thanks for sharing it!
Actually, it is this poem right here. It was very satisfying to come to understand this poem, mostly because of how hard it hit me. Because of the way it effected me once I really understood it. This was the poem that really got me started reading poetry and enjoying it. Just like Nirvana got me started on rock music, T. S. Eliot got me started on poetry.
I picked this poem to recite at my local Toastmasters club because I remembered studying it in college. I've been checking out TH-cam videos and yours is hands down the best. You infuse so much meaning into this poem, it allows people watching to understand what's going on. The personal meaning for you is quite touching as well. Thank you for sharing this. And for some unknown reason I certainly want a glass of wine. :)
Thank you so much. Your compliments mean so much to me. I old your event goes well. I made this video a couple years ago, and it's my most viewed and commented. It's funny looking back at it because I neither drink nor smoke anymore. Anyway good luck. I hope it goes well.
I really enjoyed this. My english teacher told us that we should listen to T.S Eliot read this poem for full effect and then i saw your video in the results. You read this extremely well, much better than some of the other results :)
Oh, and speaking of the tattoo, I made a list of my favorite quotes from this poem and narrowed it down to five, then decided from there. Both of the quotes you mentioned were in that last five. I decided against the second one because of its length, and I decided on the one I chose because it speaks to me the most. It says "I am afraid" best without using "and in short, I was afraid," which isn't a good enough line by itself for a tattoo.
Wow, Ryan, that was it. YES. This is my favorite poem. Your video did it justice -understatement. If I were to get a tattoo from the poem it would be "in a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse." And i know that "I wish I were a pair of ragged claws scuttling across the floors or silent seas" is quoted in Apocalypse Now, tastefully or not is another question. Anyways - thank you for your authenticity
This is really incredible. I've never been that crazy about this poem - perhaps from lack of true understanding - until now; your recitation has birthed a new life into these words, and is the best recitation of it on youtube. You need to do more!!!!!! Perhaps Ginsberg? Pound? Auden? O'Hara?
Thanks a lot, man. I've been seriously considering adding more poems. I haven't decided what to do next yet, but I'm really beginning to think people will actually watch and enjoy it. Thank you for your comment.
Ryan Wood You have about 3,500 views on this... I'm pretty sure people WILL in fact watch and enjoy LOL! I've been considering posting some poetry recitations myself. Also, on another note, I have the voice of Prufrock in my head, and I keep thinking "and do I dare," which is making me look at my own lack of reaching out and cowardliness, and makes me want to change things; this may be a good thing or a terrible thing... we'll see LOL.
Oh, wow. Thank you so much for your wonderful comments. I have always loved those lines as well, and they hold great weight for me. Wow. That was just amazing to read. I really and truly appreciate that.
Still the greatest video on TH-cam. And my favorite recitation of my favorite poem. I like the idea of doing this myself and uploading it, but I doubt it would be as good as yours. Thank you.
I have watched this video several times now. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is my favorite as well. You have done an excellent job here. Very impressive.
This is such a beautiful video. I have an assignment due tonight based on this poem. My English course is online so I searched for a video to help me understand it better. Your video not only helped me grasp the meaning but also appreciate it so much more. Thank you :) You are wonderfully articulate.
I enjoyed this video a lot. I really believe that the way you recited that poem was exactly how it was meant to be recited. Your tone of voice fits the poem perfectly. And it's cool to hear how it has such a big effect on your life. Well done!
Good luck! Thanks for your comment. I think a lot of people watch this video just for the first four minutes where I talk about the meaning. lol. Don't feel bad about not remembering so much of it. It's a pretty long poem, and I only know the whole thing because it's the only single piece of art that has ever changed my life in some way.
Yeah, I actually showed the first two minutes to my 11th grade AP classes. You helped out about 6o kids! They were clueless walking in to class, but they walked out understanding. Thanks for your help!
Hey! I just watched this, I'm in England a third year English student and I have my modernism exam on saturday :( wish me luck haha! I wish I could remember it as good as you!! thanks for sharing xx
James. Thanks for your comment. Whether I know what Eliot means by the line "that is not what I meant at all" or any of the lines in this poem for that matter, is irrelevant. When a poet allows their work to be published, they are allowing it to be interpreted. I have interpreted the line in a way that it speaks to me. To me that line is about the times that I have been afraid to approach a woman and say something for fear of her not being receptive to what I say.
Thank you for your comment. I'm sure there are things from this poem I will never forget. I certainly won't forget "and indeed there will be time to wonder 'Do I dare?' and 'Do I dare?'" since I have it tattooed on my arm. lol.
I really appreciate your comment. I don't currently have any plans to do other poems, but if I run across one that I feel strongly about like this one, I may do this again. Do you have a poem you would like to suggest? Thanks again!
By John Milton? I just read it. Brilliant. I understood it to be about how the words Shakespeare has left us will be forever remembered. Long after all the other men placed in fancy tombs and pyramids. That those words will live for so long and touch the lives of so many that even kings would rather have such a legacy in death than the splendid sepulcher they will receive. Excellent poem. Would you agree with my interpretation?
Thank you so much for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I am beginning to think I should make more videos like this one, maybe. It has been my best received. Thanks again.
I thought that you had a pretty great grasp of what the poem meant. I think that maybe it would be good to develop more in depth some important questions that arise to the reader. For instance more discussion about the yellow fog what it symbolizes and the significance of it. I also think that another great aspect to look at is what the mermaids mean. what was the point of bringing in these mythological creatures. what is their significance. and lastly but probably most importantly, as i have watched almost all the commentaries on TH-cam about The love song of J Alfred Prufrock and none of them discuss this, who is the love song to? Is it himself or an actual person or an unknown character. is it the reader that relates to him. I personally don't understand the poem all that well but i do love it. the words have a way of resonating in my heart, giving me chill bumps and stirring some sort of emotion and therefore have sought out clarity. I feel there is a lot of meaning behind the Michael Angelo lines and think it might be important to further look into it. Lastly i love that you go the tattoo and know that i want to get a tattoo of something from this poem but don't know what yet. I too have a tattoo from a poem. Mine is from the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley. anyway. maybe if you get a chance to make another video it would be beneficial to discuss further the ideas that i discussed. thanks for you video man
Lawrence Martinez Yeah, I really don't go in depth into the lines and exactly what they mean. I think this video is great for a college student trying to understand what it generally means before they go into their American Literature class the next and take a test. But, no, it really doesn't delve into the symbolism and deep meanings of the lines. Maybe if I have time one day, I'll do another video on that. Thank you so much for your strong comment. I don't know why I missed this one. I reply to most. Did you end up getting the tattoo? Which line(s)? It was so hard to decide.
As for the tattoo. I see your point. Understood. And, finally, I really enjoyed the poetic language of your comment, whether it was critical of my video or not. Especially the last line.
Time does, indeed, stand still in that moment. Because time is irrelevant to the couple. It is not directly stated, but the poem is about the moments right after sex. The couple is laying in the candle light. It's raining outside, and music is drifting in from another room. He's smoking a cigarette and holding her hand. Sometimes it takes a few read-throughs to get to it. Poetry is all about imagery, and I think Afterglow can be interpreted different ways. Yours is excellent.
Afterglow The tingle slowly fades as the light dances shadows on the wall. One hand in hers, drawing smoke from the other, while the rain pelts the windowpane. Music drifts in soft from a farther room and the hands of the clock await permission to move. Ryan Wood October, 2011. What is that poem about, do you think?
Hey Ryan, I love your recitation. I thought that Anthony Hopkins spoke too fast. I have just started memorizing it, almost have the first stanza. I recently have come to the joys of rote memorization as it was once called. This is my 21th poem. I really love the Romantics. Thanks for the interpretation also.The wine was a nice touch, the cigarette not so much. lol. Nice tat! Outstanding job on the poem! I wonder how long it will take me to commit it to memory?
It's pretty long, so it took me quite some time. Almost a year, although I wasn't actually trying. I would be laying in bed or something, thinking, and the poem would come into my head. I'd get a certain amount of the way through it and then I'd have to pick up the book and read it. Eventually, I was able to get through the entire thing. As for the wine and cigarette. Well, I was just relaxing, honestly, and thought nothing of it. I am, unfortunately, a smoker, and it's just what I do. I had no idea this video would become as popular as it is. If I had, I probably would not have lit a smoke while I recited it. Anyway, thank you so much for your comments.
Oh, and by the way - I agree with you about Sir Hopkins. While I absolutely love his voice, I think he really rushed through it. That video is, what, 5 minutes long? Not long enough for this poem, that's for sure. Would love to hear Morgan Freeman read it. haha.
So nice to hear back from you. I try to learn a couple of lines everyday. It took me 7 weeks to learn "Ode to a Nightingale" and that was my longest poem at that point. I think I've learned about 5 stanzas of "Prufock" so far. Haven't done the math for how long that will take. lol.I look for videos for all the poems I've learned just to see how someone else does them. I have a friend who is going to video me at some point so you may seeing me reciting some poems too. I've learned 20 at this point. I love it! I'm hooked!
God loves you! 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 New International Version (NIV). No matter where you are right now, God loves you and has a plan for your life. Take care and thank you for the meaning of the poem!
Way too much time for my mind to wonder and ruminate on this poem I love so much. And whenever I got to a point in my mind going through it that I had forgotten, I picked up my copy and re-read it. Eventually I stopped having to pick up the poem anymore. Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for your comment.
This poem is soaked through with regret. I can imagine that it speaks to a certain group of people- old or young, balding or hirsute- a certain type of person with an endlessly deep soul and a keen awareness of the passing of time. Those who are introspective, self-conscious, anxious, nervous, worried, passionate, uncomfortable, observant, skeptical, fidgety, wimpy, self-hating, cynical, defeated, indecisive, self-sabotaging, sad, hesitant, resigned, fatigued, lonely, overwhelmed, yearning, self-aware. Overthinkers. Coffee drinkers. Bit players.
maybe prufrock is inviting someone sick or stressed to watch a beautiful view with him in order to change his mood or maybe making that one sick is the price of watching that beautiful view maybe the one he s inviting is himself, trying to convince himself to get out of the dark world he created around him... to save himself
I don't think he was aware at the time that he was doing anything wrong. I'm not even sure he really realizes as he's looking back that he was wrong. He hears the mermaids singing each to each, and still he says, 'I do not think that they will sing to me.' He's still afraid of being rejected, and by the end of the poem, I don't think he has changed at all. Thank you for your comment. Sometimes it's hard not to be Prufrock, I think.
..these words belong to Dante, of course.. ;) "If I believed that my reply were made To one who could ever climb to the world again, This flame would shake no more. But since no shade ever returned- if what I am told is true- From this blind world into living light, Without fear of dishonor I answer you." Dante, Inferno Canto XXVII, lines 61-66.
I'm studying the Prufrock poem for my final exam (just started today), as well as Dante's Inferno.. what a coincidence:) I just thought that the epigraph of Prufrock sounded very familiar.. I really like the way you explain your personal link to the poem by the way ;) Great to know there are still young men out there who are fascinated by poetry:)
Mama Liya would you care to share your thoughts here about the meaning of the epigraph and how it ties into the overall theme of the poem since I don't address it in this video?
For me, the only way to interpret poetry that isn't easy to interpret is to just read it and think about it, read it and think about it. Over and over until I have an understanding of it. Poetry isn't always difficult to interpret. Take the poem from my next comment for example. It is a lovely piece of poetry, but it isn't written in a way that is supposed to make the reader have a hard time understanding it. That's not what poetry is about. Poetry is about the beauty of language.
Translation in Macedonian linguage Љубовната песна на Алфред Пруфрок Т.С. Елиот Мото “Да бев оној кој да му се врати на светот брза, ќе сметав дека одговорот веќе сум ви го дал и пламеноблујавиов јазик ќе ми беше врзан. Ама, бидејќи амбисов нема ни врата ни џам и никој жив не отишол од овој подземен бал, за сѐ што чув ќе ви дрдорам без страв и срам.“ Данте, Пеколот, XXVII, 61-66 1 Да појдеме додека вечерта тоне спроти ова небо како под опојка да е пациент на операциона маса; да појдеме по улицата каде сиромавиот во џебот до тивко ноќно засолниште во ефтин хотел стасал, во ресторан послан со струготини служат школки, таму тој ќе ги ублажи многуте свои бессони болки; по полупусти улици водич ни е измамната химера, до здодевниот доказ нѐ води со подмолна намера, до надмоќното прашање од филозофската стоа... Ох, немој да прашуваш волку рано `Што е тоа?`! Ај да се правиме дека воопшто не ни се ита и да уживаме во нашата откривачка визита! Ко насретсело во собата жените се сноваат и премудри тиради за Микеланѓело коваат. 2 Од прозорските рамови жолта магла грб си чеша, на нив и жолтиот дим муцка трие ко да бара храна, ги лиже аглите на вечерта што е четвртеста цреша заглавена во бари заостанати во одводниот канал; а кога од оџаците грбот на маглата го оросат саѓи таа потскокнува изненадена, преку терасата ползи, гледа дека октомвриската ноќ се истенчила бааѓи, врти задкуќа и легнува да спие како небесни солзи. 3 И верно, ќе има доволно време за жолтестиот чад сладострасно врз колковите на улицата да светне; ќе има доволно време за сеуште да се остане млад и да спремиш гард пред лицата кои ќе ги сретнеш; твое ќе е времето во сите денови и за сите нешта, ќе има доволно време да создаваш и да ништиш, ќе има дигалка со која нечија рака, долга и вешта, ти го сервира во чинија прашањето што те тишти. 4 И верно, и за мене и за тебе ќе има доволно време за стотици колебања за возможен почеток или крај, за стотици замисли и премисли да бидам спремен пред да го лапнам колачето и го испијам мојот чај. Ко насретсело во собата жените се сноваат и премудри тиради за Микеланѓело коваат. 5 И верно, доста време ќе имам, за дилеми и теза, да се прашам`Дали смелост во срцево носам?`. Време кога ќе се свртам за по скали да слезам, закитен со ќелавото теме насреде мојата коса, (тие ќе речат:`Супер, косата не ќе му се дига`) цврсто стегнат во мојот фрак, но не како позер, со кравата модерна и скапа но со проста игла (тие ќе речат `Бре, што има тенки раце и нозе!`), дали тогаш доволно ќе бидам смел и со стис да ја вознемирам вселената и саатното клатно? Во минутата има доста време за настап на бис, за одлука и за пишман што неа ја врти обратно. 6 А јас веќе ги знам сите нив, ги имам проверено, знам вечери, утра, попладниња, знам жега и лад, со кафени лажичиња животот го имам измерено: ги знам умирачките гласови во умирачкиот пад, придружувани со музиката од далечната соба. Ни претпоставка ми треба, ни генерална проба! 7 А јас веќе ги знам сите очи чиј поглед е свиснат, сите тие очи кои те втеруваат во шаблон и фраза: а кога сум шаблонизиран и со топуската стиснат ко еден од инсектите кои навидум и мртви лазат, како тогаш јас би требало да почнам без горчина од моите денови да ги исплукам сите догорчиња и да претпоставам дека уживам а не дека мразам? 8 А јас веќе ги знам и рацете, сите ми се стиснати, тие бели и разголени раце со бразлетни украсени, (но, осветлени од ламбата, влакносани и виснати!) Дали мирисите од фустанот ги сторија огнасени моите денови што минат оддалечени и вџасени? Раце спружени на маса, или затскриени со шал. Па така, треба ли да претпоставам, без ронка жал, дека за да тргнам ми треба само еден чекор мал? 9 Дека на самрак по улици лутав да кажам дали треба, дека сетив тутунски чадја и мириси на тешки манџи кои рееја откај осамените луѓе желни за поарни неба. А можев да бидам сал еден чифт парталосани канџи кои на дното на некое тивко море талогот го гребат. 10 И вечерта тивко залегнала во попладневна дремка! Долгите прсти на саатниот бројчаник ја измазниле, таа заспива, преуморна, или можеби само се фемка испружена на подот, како јас и ти да сме ја казниле. 11 По чајот, колачите и сладоледот, по таа слатка низа, треба ли јас насила моментот да го втерам во криза? Иако постев и плачев, со солзи се молев пред Ѕидот, иако на дискусот мојата оќелавена глава си ја видов, јас пророк не сум, немам големо прашање или став; видов дека моето време на величие е само секунда, видов како вечниот лакеј ја придржува мојата бунда, кратко речено, јас поминав низ секој трепет и страв. 12 И по толку кафиња, мармалад, по толку испиен чај, среде тој порцелан, среде муабет меѓу тебе и мене, дали воопшто може да има вредност и некаков сјај, дали е толку драгоцено за на престолот да се крене, јунаштвото дека со насмев го оставаш зад себе сето, дека сета вселена ја сплескуваш во сал едно ќофте, дека се вртиш кон некое надмоќно прашање клето - за потоа да видиш дека промашување е тој повтеж зашто токму кога ќе разгласиш дека си оној Лазар што од мртвите е вратен, дека ти на сето си сума, домашниот есап не ти го признаваат на овој пазар - залегнатиот в кревет вели: `за тоа не станува дума`. 13 И по тие зајдисонца в градини пред влезни врати во улици извалкани, по толку романи и шољи чај и предолги сукњи и толку плати и долгови и рати, по многу други нешта, вреди ли тоа како за крај? Невозможно е да се каже што точно јас мислам, зашто како магична ламба по нерви да ми шета, ме турка во обрасците на некој екран да киснам и да се прашам вреден ли е тоа ќар или е штета, бидејќи секогаш има некој што ќе ти дупне гума: удобно залегнат в кревет, тој џитка мисла клета - дека ти врска немаш, за тоа не станувало дума. 14 Јас не сум принц Хамлет и не мислам да бидам, само прислужник сум за напредокот да брекне, да почнат една или две сцени меѓу четири ѕида, да го советувам принцот кога нема да му текне, почитуван, сигурен алат сум, лесен за ракување, политичар, претпазлив, педантен но малку глуп оти напати сум високоумен па ми треба чување; верно, некогаш сум и смешен па испаѓам труп, во мене Будалата и Џокерот најчесто се на куп. 15 Стареам, од она кое вредеше останаа само талони, веќе ги подвиткав ногавиците на мојте панталони. На плажа спружени сирени си пеат една на друга, смеам ли праска да загризам а патецот на тилот? Не ни помислувам некоја со мене да сподели шуга, си седам мадро, се правам како ништо да не било. А гледав, они похотно на морето му се подаваат, седите коси му ги мрсат дури на таласите јаваат. И ние долго се сновеме низ тој морски харем, и ние би сакале така да ни прават и да правиме, тие сирени да нѐ впрегнат во љубовниот јарем - но човечките гласови нѐ будат и ние се давиме.
great job man, help me a lot with my homework, which is to summarize this poem. one more thing, next video be more enthusiastic, you look like the kind of poerson who would commit suicide or something, perhaps like the guy in the poem. lol. thanks again
hello Ryan, what a stunning recitation!! What I wanted to ask is whether these words are part of the actual poem? S’io credesse che mia risposta fosse A persona che mai tornasse al mondo, Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. Ma perciocche giammai di questo fondo Non torno vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero, Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo. www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/love-song-j-alfred-prufrock
ryan, "that is not what i meant at all". you are not old enough to know what he means. did we need to see a tattoo, i had rather seen a soul frenzy about you. i first read "love song" in 1964, the year before the music died. i have spent my life living its melody. "skotomas"
gwendolyn2001 I'll go back and look at that. I know I missed one or two things, but... a lot? I'll have to give the whole video another watch now. You've got me worried.
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this is my favorite poem too. i can identify well with your interpretation, and i enjoyed your reading. i am also trying to learn it by heart.
Hello!! Years ago I listened part of the poem on a movie, "Let us go then you and I" "Till human voices wake us..." Those lines were capable of steal my heart and it didn't take to much for me to begin memorize it. Since then years have passed and I still have the lines of the poem engrave in my heart. Thanks for sharing it!
I loved it a lot
Thanks for you comments. Good luck with the memorizing. Take it one stanza at a time, man.
Actually, it is this poem right here. It was very satisfying to come to understand this poem, mostly because of how hard it hit me. Because of the way it effected me once I really understood it. This was the poem that really got me started reading poetry and enjoying it. Just like Nirvana got me started on rock music, T. S. Eliot got me started on poetry.
A fantastic rendition. Very down to earth and visceral. Thanks, Ryan, for this post.
Thanks for your comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
I picked this poem to recite at my local Toastmasters club because I remembered studying it in college. I've been checking out TH-cam videos and yours is hands down the best. You infuse so much meaning into this poem, it allows people watching to understand what's going on. The personal meaning for you is quite touching as well. Thank you for sharing this. And for some unknown reason I certainly want a glass of wine. :)
Thank you so much. Your compliments mean so much to me. I old your event goes well. I made this video a couple years ago, and it's my most viewed and commented. It's funny looking back at it because I neither drink nor smoke anymore. Anyway good luck. I hope it goes well.
Thanks a lot, Nbarjest. Greatly appreciated.
I really enjoyed this. My english teacher told us that we should listen to T.S Eliot read this poem for full effect and then i saw your video in the results. You read this extremely well, much better than some of the other results :)
Oh, and speaking of the tattoo, I made a list of my favorite quotes from this poem and narrowed it down to five, then decided from there. Both of the quotes you mentioned were in that last five. I decided against the second one because of its length, and I decided on the one I chose because it speaks to me the most. It says "I am afraid" best without using "and in short, I was afraid," which isn't a good enough line by itself for a tattoo.
ay bro....i think you it right on the head....it's crazy how poems speak to us and have the answers to our problems....good job
Wow, Ryan, that was it. YES. This is my favorite poem. Your video did it justice -understatement. If I were to get a tattoo from the poem it would be "in a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse." And i know that "I wish I were a pair of ragged claws scuttling across the floors or silent seas" is quoted in Apocalypse Now, tastefully or not is another question. Anyways - thank you for your authenticity
This is awesome; absolutely incredible.
That's a really good recitation. I enjoyed listening.
This is really incredible. I've never been that crazy about this poem - perhaps from lack of true understanding - until now; your recitation has birthed a new life into these words, and is the best recitation of it on youtube. You need to do more!!!!!! Perhaps Ginsberg? Pound? Auden? O'Hara?
Thanks a lot, man. I've been seriously considering adding more poems. I haven't decided what to do next yet, but I'm really beginning to think people will actually watch and enjoy it. Thank you for your comment.
Ryan Wood You have about 3,500 views on this... I'm pretty sure people WILL in fact watch and enjoy LOL! I've been considering posting some poetry recitations myself. Also, on another note, I have the voice of Prufrock in my head, and I keep thinking "and do I dare," which is making me look at my own lack of reaching out and cowardliness, and makes me want to change things; this may be a good thing or a terrible thing... we'll see LOL.
Thank you, sir.
Oh, wow. Thank you so much for your wonderful comments. I have always loved those lines as well, and they hold great weight for me. Wow. That was just amazing to read. I really and truly appreciate that.
Still the greatest video on TH-cam. And my favorite recitation of my favorite poem. I like the idea of doing this myself and uploading it, but I doubt it would be as good as yours. Thank you.
I have watched this video several times now. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is my favorite as well. You have done an excellent job here. Very impressive.
Ami Nicholson Thank you so much, Ami. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment.
You just have to keep working at it, my friend. It's such a difficult thing to overcome. But, if you keep trying, you'll get there. You'll get there.
This is such a beautiful video. I have an assignment due tonight based on this poem. My English course is online so I searched for a video to help me understand it better. Your video not only helped me grasp the meaning but also appreciate it so much more. Thank you :) You are wonderfully articulate.
I enjoyed this video a lot. I really believe that the way you recited that poem was exactly how it was meant to be recited. Your tone of voice fits the poem perfectly. And it's cool to hear how it has such a big effect on your life. Well done!
Thank you very much. What an excellent comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I really like your recitation. I think your conversational tone fits the poem well.
English is not my mother tongue, but I'm really impressed by the beauty of this poem. I really enjoyed your comments.
I loved your interpretation. You helped me better understand this beautiful poem. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it helped you to better understand the poem. :)
One of my favorites as well.
I strongly recommend my favorite poet - Zbigniew Herbert, who regarded Eliot very high
i can watch this forever
best explanation I've heard... I looked at forums and have seen 30 minute explanations that don't even prove a point
+JakesGuitarVids Thanks, Jake. I'm glad you were able to find this video and I'm glad that it proved to be useful to you.
Thanks a lot, Ray. I really appreciate that, man. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Great job, man.
Thank you very much, sir. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Good luck! Thanks for your comment. I think a lot of people watch this video just for the first four minutes where I talk about the meaning. lol. Don't feel bad about not remembering so much of it. It's a pretty long poem, and I only know the whole thing because it's the only single piece of art that has ever changed my life in some way.
Wonderful
Thank you so much, Shane. And I would love to hear yours. Please do upload it, and post it as a video response.
Great job. Thank you for your summary at the start.
Chris Murphy Thanks, Chris. I'm glad you got something out of it. I appreciate your comment.
Yeah, I actually showed the first two minutes to my 11th grade AP classes. You helped out about 6o kids! They were clueless walking in to class, but they walked out understanding. Thanks for your help!
Chris Murphy That's great, man! Thanks so much for letting me know that it was used in the classroom.
You have a good look!!
Brilliant recitation brother, clear diction and a good tone. I see that you are a Nirvana fan, hope you do more poems, something like the raven.
Thanks, Angad. I've been considering that, seeing as how this is my most popular video. Seems a lot more people enjoy poetry than I thought.
Love your voice and thanks for help :)
martoszkaww Well, thank you for your compliments. :)
Hey! I just watched this, I'm in England a third year English student and I have my modernism exam on saturday :( wish me luck haha! I wish I could remember it as good as you!! thanks for sharing xx
Thank you very much. Also, I would recommend the reading from Anthony Hopkins.
Also, thank you very much for the compliment. I very much appreciate it.
James. Thanks for your comment. Whether I know what Eliot means by the line "that is not what I meant at all" or any of the lines in this poem for that matter, is irrelevant. When a poet allows their work to be published, they are allowing it to be interpreted. I have interpreted the line in a way that it speaks to me. To me that line is about the times that I have been afraid to approach a woman and say something for fear of her not being receptive to what I say.
Thank you for your comment. I'm sure there are things from this poem I will never forget. I certainly won't forget "and indeed there will be time to wonder 'Do I dare?' and 'Do I dare?'" since I have it tattooed on my arm. lol.
wow ! thats one of the best recitation i have ever heard from a person,,,sharp memory bro ! Keep that up ! want to hear more from you..will you :) ?
I really appreciate your comment. I don't currently have any plans to do other poems, but if I run across one that I feel strongly about like this one, I may do this again. Do you have a poem you would like to suggest?
Thanks again!
Yes bro ! The name of the poem is "On Shakespeare". You are so generous and i am glad that you asked me :) thanks a lot :D
By John Milton? I just read it. Brilliant. I understood it to be about how the words Shakespeare has left us will be forever remembered. Long after all the other men placed in fancy tombs and pyramids. That those words will live for so long and touch the lives of so many that even kings would rather have such a legacy in death than the splendid sepulcher they will receive. Excellent poem. Would you agree with my interpretation?
More than happy bro ! you have a fantastic power of interpretation :)
Thank you so much for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I am beginning to think I should make more videos like this one, maybe. It has been my best received. Thanks again.
I thought that you had a pretty great grasp of what the poem meant. I think that maybe it would be good to develop more in depth some important questions that arise to the reader. For instance more discussion about the yellow fog what it symbolizes and the significance of it. I also think that another great aspect to look at is what the mermaids mean. what was the point of bringing in these mythological creatures. what is their significance. and lastly but probably most importantly, as i have watched almost all the commentaries on TH-cam about The love song of J Alfred Prufrock and none of them discuss this, who is the love song to? Is it himself or an actual person or an unknown character. is it the reader that relates to him. I personally don't understand the poem all that well but i do love it. the words have a way of resonating in my heart, giving me chill bumps and stirring some sort of emotion and therefore have sought out clarity. I feel there is a lot of meaning behind the Michael Angelo lines and think it might be important to further look into it. Lastly i love that you go the tattoo and know that i want to get a tattoo of something from this poem but don't know what yet. I too have a tattoo from a poem. Mine is from the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley. anyway. maybe if you get a chance to make another video it would be beneficial to discuss further the ideas that i discussed. thanks for you video man
Lawrence Martinez Yeah, I really don't go in depth into the lines and exactly what they mean. I think this video is great for a college student trying to understand what it generally means before they go into their American Literature class the next and take a test. But, no, it really doesn't delve into the symbolism and deep meanings of the lines. Maybe if I have time one day, I'll do another video on that. Thank you so much for your strong comment. I don't know why I missed this one. I reply to most. Did you end up getting the tattoo? Which line(s)? It was so hard to decide.
As for the tattoo. I see your point. Understood. And, finally, I really enjoyed the poetic language of your comment, whether it was critical of my video or not. Especially the last line.
Time does, indeed, stand still in that moment. Because time is irrelevant to the couple. It is not directly stated, but the poem is about the moments right after sex. The couple is laying in the candle light. It's raining outside, and music is drifting in from another room. He's smoking a cigarette and holding her hand. Sometimes it takes a few read-throughs to get to it. Poetry is all about imagery, and I think Afterglow can be interpreted different ways. Yours is excellent.
Afterglow
The tingle slowly fades as
the light dances shadows on the wall.
One hand in hers,
drawing smoke from the other,
while the rain pelts the windowpane.
Music drifts in soft
from a farther room
and the hands of the clock
await permission to move.
Ryan Wood October, 2011.
What is that poem about, do you think?
Hey Ryan, I love your recitation. I thought that Anthony Hopkins spoke too fast. I have just started memorizing it, almost have the first stanza. I recently have come to the joys of rote memorization as it was once called. This is my 21th poem. I really love the Romantics. Thanks for the interpretation also.The wine was a nice touch, the cigarette not so much. lol. Nice tat! Outstanding job on the poem! I wonder how long it will take me to commit it to memory?
It's pretty long, so it took me quite some time. Almost a year, although I wasn't actually trying. I would be laying in bed or something, thinking, and the poem would come into my head. I'd get a certain amount of the way through it and then I'd have to pick up the book and read it. Eventually, I was able to get through the entire thing. As for the wine and cigarette. Well, I was just relaxing, honestly, and thought nothing of it. I am, unfortunately, a smoker, and it's just what I do. I had no idea this video would become as popular as it is. If I had, I probably would not have lit a smoke while I recited it. Anyway, thank you so much for your comments.
Oh, and by the way - I agree with you about Sir Hopkins. While I absolutely love his voice, I think he really rushed through it. That video is, what, 5 minutes long? Not long enough for this poem, that's for sure. Would love to hear Morgan Freeman read it. haha.
So nice to hear back from you. I try to learn a couple of lines everyday. It took me 7 weeks to learn "Ode to a Nightingale" and that was my longest poem at that point. I think I've learned about 5 stanzas of "Prufock" so far. Haven't done the math for how long that will take. lol.I look for videos for all the poems I've learned just to see how someone else does them. I have a friend who is going to video me at some point so you may seeing me reciting some poems too. I've learned 20 at this point. I love it! I'm hooked!
If you do a video of it, please make it a video response here because I'd love to see it. Good luck.
God loves you!
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 New International Version (NIV).
No matter where you are right now, God loves you and has a plan for your life. Take care and thank you for the meaning of the poem!
Great tattoo -you can look down at it and be inspired.
Thanks. Yeah, I love this tattoo. :)
How do you know all that from memory, Ryan?! Your a cool dude by the way!
Way too much time for my mind to wonder and ruminate on this poem I love so much. And whenever I got to a point in my mind going through it that I had forgotten, I picked up my copy and re-read it. Eventually I stopped having to pick up the poem anymore. Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks, Ryan!
This poem is soaked through with regret. I can imagine that it speaks to a certain group of people- old or young, balding or hirsute- a certain type of person with an endlessly deep soul and a keen awareness of the passing of time. Those who are introspective, self-conscious, anxious, nervous, worried, passionate, uncomfortable, observant, skeptical, fidgety, wimpy, self-hating, cynical, defeated, indecisive, self-sabotaging, sad, hesitant, resigned, fatigued, lonely, overwhelmed, yearning, self-aware. Overthinkers. Coffee drinkers. Bit players.
I would say that pretty accurately describes the version of myself who was obsessed with this poem.
maybe prufrock is inviting someone sick or stressed to watch a beautiful view with him in order to change his mood
or maybe making that one sick is the price of watching that beautiful view
maybe the one he s inviting is himself, trying to convince himself to get out of the dark world he created around him... to save himself
I don't think he was aware at the time that he was doing anything wrong. I'm not even sure he really realizes as he's looking back that he was wrong. He hears the mermaids singing each to each, and still he says, 'I do not think that they will sing to me.' He's still afraid of being rejected, and by the end of the poem, I don't think he has changed at all. Thank you for your comment. Sometimes it's hard not to be Prufrock, I think.
..these words belong to Dante, of course.. ;)
"If I believed that my reply were made
To one who could ever climb to the world again,
This flame would shake no more.
But since no shade ever returned- if what I am told is true-
From this blind world into living light,
Without fear of dishonor I answer you."
Dante, Inferno Canto XXVII, lines 61-66.
Mama Liya Right, in my previous reply I point out what you already know. Thanks for bringing this up.
I'm studying the Prufrock poem for my final exam (just started today), as well as Dante's Inferno.. what a coincidence:) I just thought that the epigraph of Prufrock sounded very familiar.. I really like the way you explain your personal link to the poem by the way ;) Great to know there are still young men out there who are fascinated by poetry:)
Mama Liya would you care to share your thoughts here about the meaning of the epigraph and how it ties into the overall theme of the poem since I don't address it in this video?
Mama Liya you are right;and like Guido de Montefeltro in Dante's 'Inferno' perhaps the speaker of the poem is also image conscious..
For me, the only way to interpret poetry that isn't easy to interpret is to just read it and think about it, read it and think about it. Over and over until I have an understanding of it. Poetry isn't always difficult to interpret. Take the poem from my next comment for example. It is a lovely piece of poetry, but it isn't written in a way that is supposed to make the reader have a hard time understanding it. That's not what poetry is about. Poetry is about the beauty of language.
Translation in Macedonian linguage
Љубовната песна на Алфред Пруфрок
Т.С. Елиот
Мото
“Да бев оној кој да му се врати на светот брза,
ќе сметав дека одговорот веќе сум ви го дал
и пламеноблујавиов јазик ќе ми беше врзан.
Ама, бидејќи амбисов нема ни врата ни џам
и никој жив не отишол од овој подземен бал,
за сѐ што чув ќе ви дрдорам без страв и срам.“
Данте, Пеколот, XXVII, 61-66
1
Да појдеме додека вечерта тоне спроти ова небо
како под опојка да е пациент на операциона маса;
да појдеме по улицата каде сиромавиот во џебот
до тивко ноќно засолниште во ефтин хотел стасал,
во ресторан послан со струготини служат школки,
таму тој ќе ги ублажи многуте свои бессони болки;
по полупусти улици водич ни е измамната химера,
до здодевниот доказ нѐ води со подмолна намера,
до надмоќното прашање од филозофската стоа...
Ох, немој да прашуваш волку рано `Што е тоа?`!
Ај да се правиме дека воопшто не ни се ита
и да уживаме во нашата откривачка визита!
Ко насретсело во собата жените се сноваат
и премудри тиради за Микеланѓело коваат.
2
Од прозорските рамови жолта магла грб си чеша,
на нив и жолтиот дим муцка трие ко да бара храна,
ги лиже аглите на вечерта што е четвртеста цреша
заглавена во бари заостанати во одводниот канал;
а кога од оџаците грбот на маглата го оросат саѓи
таа потскокнува изненадена, преку терасата ползи,
гледа дека октомвриската ноќ се истенчила бааѓи,
врти задкуќа и легнува да спие како небесни солзи.
3
И верно, ќе има доволно време за жолтестиот чад
сладострасно врз колковите на улицата да светне;
ќе има доволно време за сеуште да се остане млад
и да спремиш гард пред лицата кои ќе ги сретнеш;
твое ќе е времето во сите денови и за сите нешта,
ќе има доволно време да создаваш и да ништиш,
ќе има дигалка со која нечија рака, долга и вешта,
ти го сервира во чинија прашањето што те тишти.
4
И верно, и за мене и за тебе ќе има доволно време
за стотици колебања за возможен почеток или крај,
за стотици замисли и премисли да бидам спремен
пред да го лапнам колачето и го испијам мојот чај.
Ко насретсело во собата жените се сноваат
и премудри тиради за Микеланѓело коваат.
5
И верно, доста време ќе имам, за дилеми и теза,
да се прашам`Дали смелост во срцево носам?`.
Време кога ќе се свртам за по скали да слезам,
закитен со ќелавото теме насреде мојата коса,
(тие ќе речат:`Супер, косата не ќе му се дига`)
цврсто стегнат во мојот фрак, но не како позер,
со кравата модерна и скапа но со проста игла
(тие ќе речат `Бре, што има тенки раце и нозе!`),
дали тогаш доволно ќе бидам смел и со стис
да ја вознемирам вселената и саатното клатно?
Во минутата има доста време за настап на бис,
за одлука и за пишман што неа ја врти обратно.
6
А јас веќе ги знам сите нив, ги имам проверено,
знам вечери, утра, попладниња, знам жега и лад,
со кафени лажичиња животот го имам измерено:
ги знам умирачките гласови во умирачкиот пад,
придружувани со музиката од далечната соба.
Ни претпоставка ми треба, ни генерална проба!
7
А јас веќе ги знам сите очи чиј поглед е свиснат,
сите тие очи кои те втеруваат во шаблон и фраза:
а кога сум шаблонизиран и со топуската стиснат
ко еден од инсектите кои навидум и мртви лазат,
како тогаш јас би требало да почнам без горчина
од моите денови да ги исплукам сите догорчиња
и да претпоставам дека уживам а не дека мразам?
8
А јас веќе ги знам и рацете, сите ми се стиснати,
тие бели и разголени раце со бразлетни украсени,
(но, осветлени од ламбата, влакносани и виснати!)
Дали мирисите од фустанот ги сторија огнасени
моите денови што минат оддалечени и вџасени?
Раце спружени на маса, или затскриени со шал.
Па така, треба ли да претпоставам, без ронка жал,
дека за да тргнам ми треба само еден чекор мал?
9
Дека на самрак по улици лутав да кажам дали треба,
дека сетив тутунски чадја и мириси на тешки манџи
кои рееја откај осамените луѓе желни за поарни неба.
А можев да бидам сал еден чифт парталосани канџи
кои на дното на некое тивко море талогот го гребат.
10
И вечерта тивко залегнала во попладневна дремка!
Долгите прсти на саатниот бројчаник ја измазниле,
таа заспива, преуморна, или можеби само се фемка
испружена на подот, како јас и ти да сме ја казниле.
11
По чајот, колачите и сладоледот, по таа слатка низа,
треба ли јас насила моментот да го втерам во криза?
Иако постев и плачев, со солзи се молев пред Ѕидот,
иако на дискусот мојата оќелавена глава си ја видов,
јас пророк не сум, немам големо прашање или став;
видов дека моето време на величие е само секунда,
видов како вечниот лакеј ја придржува мојата бунда,
кратко речено, јас поминав низ секој трепет и страв.
12
И по толку кафиња, мармалад, по толку испиен чај,
среде тој порцелан, среде муабет меѓу тебе и мене,
дали воопшто може да има вредност и некаков сјај,
дали е толку драгоцено за на престолот да се крене,
јунаштвото дека со насмев го оставаш зад себе сето,
дека сета вселена ја сплескуваш во сал едно ќофте,
дека се вртиш кон некое надмоќно прашање клето -
за потоа да видиш дека промашување е тој повтеж
зашто токму кога ќе разгласиш дека си оној Лазар
што од мртвите е вратен, дека ти на сето си сума,
домашниот есап не ти го признаваат на овој пазар -
залегнатиот в кревет вели: `за тоа не станува дума`.
13
И по тие зајдисонца в градини пред влезни врати
во улици извалкани, по толку романи и шољи чај
и предолги сукњи и толку плати и долгови и рати,
по многу други нешта, вреди ли тоа како за крај?
Невозможно е да се каже што точно јас мислам,
зашто како магична ламба по нерви да ми шета,
ме турка во обрасците на некој екран да киснам
и да се прашам вреден ли е тоа ќар или е штета,
бидејќи секогаш има некој што ќе ти дупне гума:
удобно залегнат в кревет, тој џитка мисла клета -
дека ти врска немаш, за тоа не станувало дума.
14
Јас не сум принц Хамлет и не мислам да бидам,
само прислужник сум за напредокот да брекне,
да почнат една или две сцени меѓу четири ѕида,
да го советувам принцот кога нема да му текне,
почитуван, сигурен алат сум, лесен за ракување,
политичар, претпазлив, педантен но малку глуп
оти напати сум високоумен па ми треба чување;
верно, некогаш сум и смешен па испаѓам труп,
во мене Будалата и Џокерот најчесто се на куп.
15
Стареам, од она кое вредеше останаа само талони,
веќе ги подвиткав ногавиците на мојте панталони.
На плажа спружени сирени си пеат една на друга,
смеам ли праска да загризам а патецот на тилот?
Не ни помислувам некоја со мене да сподели шуга,
си седам мадро, се правам како ништо да не било.
А гледав, они похотно на морето му се подаваат,
седите коси му ги мрсат дури на таласите јаваат.
И ние долго се сновеме низ тој морски харем,
и ние би сакале така да ни прават и да правиме,
тие сирени да нѐ впрегнат во љубовниот јарем -
но човечките гласови нѐ будат и ние се давиме.
great job man, help me a lot with my homework, which is to summarize this poem.
one more thing, next video be more enthusiastic, you look like the kind of poerson who would commit suicide or something, perhaps like the guy in the poem. lol.
thanks again
el pasi Note taken, my friend. I'll work on that. Glad I could help you understand it. Thanks for the comment.
hello Ryan, what a stunning recitation!!
What I wanted to ask is whether these words are part of the actual poem?
S’io credesse che mia risposta fosse
A persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma perciocche giammai di questo fondo
Non torno vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero,
Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo.
www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/love-song-j-alfred-prufrock
Mama Liya Technically, yes. That is the epigraph to this poem. It is a quote from Canto 27 of The Inferno by Dante Alighieri.
ryan, "that is not what i meant at all". you are not old enough to know what he means.
did we need to see a tattoo, i had rather seen a soul frenzy about you.
i first read "love song" in 1964, the year before the music died. i have spent my life
living its melody. "skotomas"
You left out a lot.
gwendolyn2001 I'll go back and look at that. I know I missed one or two things, but... a lot? I'll have to give the whole video another watch now. You've got me worried.
Maybe not a lot! Poetry is highly subjective, you know that, and a poem like this has many facets.