Elliot began his poetic career with his first poem, The Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock. This poem deals mainly with the narrators ( Prufrock )own insecurities about himself mentally and physically. Much of his speech is about the type of man he would like to be, gallant, passionate, charming, and yet Prufrock knows that he will never acheive this. He has no luck with the women as indicated with his mentioning of taking tea. He knows that his love life will always consist of just that: tea and polite conversation. What Prufrock doesn't seem to realize, however, is that it is not so much his appearance or disposition that has stopped him from really living, it is his own fear of living. His own fear of taking chances.Prufrock will never know if he had a chance to really live at all because of his insecurities and timidness. Age has left him feeling lonley and self-doubting. Everyone fears the risk of rejection somewhat, but Prufrock lets himself be ruled by this fear, and this is why he will never truly live his life the way he speaks to the reader when talking of his fantasies. ( Walking the dirty, seedy, streets )Prufrock is no stranger to the fact that he is some what of a stuffed-shirt. Even in the middle of his seedy fantasies he still reverts to his knowledge of what life is like. (The aristocratic scenes he may find himself in where "The women come and go, talking of Michealangelo".)Even with the kvowledge of the fact that he will never really live untill he takes a risk, he continues to play it safe. It is his insecurities about his appearance due to age (his balding head is mentioned) that drive him to this. Many people fear old age, but for Prufrock it has already killed him....
