In what way is the Modernist element of disillusionment shown in "The Love
Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"?
A. Prufrock's imagination is indistinguishable from real events.
B. Prufrock feels that his life basically ended with his youth.
C. The poet rejects structure in favor of stream of consciousness.
D. The poem makes heavy use of imagery and symbolism.
B. Prufrock feels that his life basically ended with his youth.
One of the main elements of disillusionment in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is Prufrock's feeling that his life is empty and unfulfilled. He has a sense of regret and dissatisfaction, and he believes that his youth was the only meaningful period of his life. This is evident in lines such as "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons" and "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to me." Prufrock's disillusionment is shown by his belief that his best years are behind him and that he is now stuck in a monotonous and unsatisfactory existence.