Philip Sidney and J. Alfred Prufrock

In class we have been discussing Sir Philip Sidney, a famous philosopher and critique of literature during the Renaissance era. We are to compare some of his ideas to that of the famous literary work, "The Love Song of J. Alfred and Prurock." One of the points Sidney tries to make is about human creativity in a theological context. He refers to "original sin, as a result of which our erected wit, maketh us know what perfection is, and yet our infected will, keepeth from reaching unto it." In the Love Song of J. Alfred Profruck, Prufrock lives a life of despair, one of sin. That sin, is present in the poem. For example, his weakness is that of love and to fulfill this desire, Prufrock visits "one night cheap hotel and sawdust restraunts with oyster shells." Finding prostitutes, with the intention of sleeping with a wome exemplifies sin. Prufrock knows he is sinful, and is far from perfect. He is concerned with his looks because he is aging quickly. "With a bald spot in the middle of my hair, they willl say, "how his hair is growing thin."

Sidney might view the work of T.S. Eliot's literary work as one that is not moral. Sidney defines poetry that is moral by being able to "delight and teach." Sidney also believes "the object of both teaching and delighting is goodness:by delighting, the poet moves people to welcome goodness; and by teaching, he enables them to "know that goodness whereunto they are moved. " I am not too sure if this poem actually teaches a readers much. The poem leaves an array of questions such as "who Prufrock is addressing, what is symbolic and literal in the poem, and what is the true meaning of the work. I feel like this poem from the viewpoint of Sidney would not be much of a success in his eyes. There is not much to teach and because of the dark, gloomy feel to the poem, it really doesn't provide much reading delight.