Blog Post #1: A Comparison of T.S. Elliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" with the Papa Roach song "Last Resort" (fixed formatting)

As a means of self-expression, art is frequently used to communicate feelings and opinions that would not otherwise be socially acceptable. Because of this, certain artforms have been the birthing place of many countercultural movements that explore the darker side of human emotion. Such movements include the Modernist movement in literature during the early twentieth century, exemplified by T.S. Elliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, and the emergence of emo music from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, which is epitomized by the Papa Roach song “Last Resort”, written by Jacoby Shaddix. Although the two works specified come from a similarly bleak part of their creators’ minds, when searched for contrast, they have significant differences that reflect the time period and culture that they were made in.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and “Last Resort” have many surface level similarities, as both are told from the perspectives of troubled young men who struggle with depression, low self-worth, and hopelessness. The narrator of Prufrock describes how he has “measured out [his] life in coffee spoons” and how he has “seen his moment of greatness flicker”. He feels like he has past his prime, and that his life now amounts to nothing of meaning. Similarly, the narrator of “Last Resort” says that “Nothing’s alright, nothing is fine” and that he “don’t [sic] give a fuck if [he] cut [his] arms bleeding.” To him, nothing in his life is worth enjoying, so he does not care about anything that happens to him. Both these men display not just dissatisfaction with their lives, but a belief that their existence lacks any value at all. Prufrock worries about a variety of things throughout the poem, mostly his appearance and his social skills, which gives the impression that he views himself as unworthy to gain the attention and affection of others. The singer of “Last Resort” also displays a negative self-image, asking his audience (presumably a close friend or loved one) if they would care if he killed himself. He views himself as so lowly that he doubts that the people he cares about would mourn him if he were gone. Although Shaddix’s depiction of low self-esteem is more morbid than Elliot’s, both demonstrate how detrimental insecurity and self-loathing can be, and focus their work around it. Lastly, the protagonists in both pieces fail to see their situations improving. Prufrock assumes that even if he tells the object of his affection how he feels, she will reject him, and at the end of the poem resigns to the fact that he will grow old without ever finding a lover. Likewise, the narrator of “Last Resort” laments that he has been “searching for love on a higher level/ finding nothing but questions and devils”. These men lack a sense of efficacy, and conclude that, despite any attempts they make, they will never find what they want. Both The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and “Last Resort” show people in very parts of their lives, yet while they come from similar viewpoints, they are separated by the norms of their respective movements.

The two works differ most prominently in that “Last Resort” (and most other emo music) is much more blunt and severe than Prufrock or anything that would have been considered tasteful or acceptable during the Modernist movement. This can be immediately seen in their subject matter. The narrative of Prufrock follows the title character as he lets his anxiety get in the way of approaching a girl he is attracted to, which he himself admits is not a serious issue; “Last Resort” is about someone having a mental breakdown and attempting suicide by slitting his wrists.  Needless to say, one is quite darker than the other. However, it is important to remember the context these pieces were written in, as mental illness was much less stigmatized at the end of the twentieth century than it was at the start of it. Even if a Modernist poet wanted to write about contemplating suicide, they would probably be unable to do so without invoking several taboos. Another significant difference is language that is used by the writers. Elliot dresses up the anguish in Prufrock with metaphors and allusions, while Shaddix’s language is profane and simple. This is a natural divergence, since Elliot, as a poet, was expected to craft works of beauty out of any subject, regardless of how dark it was, while Shaddix’s lyrics were made for a song in the rock genre, which celebrates directness in conveying emotion. Perhaps the most telling difference between this two pieces is that the nihilism and angst go much further in “Last Resort” than in Prufrock. For example, Prufrock says “I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,/And in short, I was afraid.” He is depressed and lonely, but he still has a desire to live, and most of his anxiety has to do with the thought of him dying before he can fulfill his desires.  The narrator of “Last Resort” has essentially abandoned all hope and now welcomes death as an escape from his troubles. Such a dark theme would be unheard of in early twentieth-century literature. However, it can be surmised that, though Modernists’ subversiveness is relatively limited by today’s standards, there work in pushing the boundaries started to century-long progression that allowed for later writers, like Shaddix, to be able to express themselves more freely.