The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Quotes

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Source: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Author: T. S. Eliot

"Do I dare to eat a peach?"

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me

Context


We dunno, do ya?

We like peaches, so to this question, we say a resounding yes.

But wherever you fall on the debate, it's worth knowing that these lines come near the end of T.S. Eliot's super famous poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Prufrock has just taken us on a journey through the dirty, foggy streets of a London-esque town where we listen to women talk about famous painters.

Oh, and Prufrock also becomes old—or maybe he was always old. Either way, this is where the peach line comes into the poem.

Eating a peach might be the first thing you think of when you think of daring. Prufrock has said "do I dare" quite a few times by this point, but does it really all lead up to daring to...eat a fruit?

Well, that's kind of the point. Prufrock has a terrible time deciding the most mundane things: hair parting, trouser wearing, trouser rolling. And the whole time, he's avoiding the big question...which we're not even supposed to ask about as he tells us in the first stanza.

Where you've heard it

Chances are you've heard this line from someone who's contemplating taking a big step. 

Or maybe they've just got a huge hankering for stone fruits.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

One minute you're quoting innocent old Prufrock and then next you're knee deep in "The Waste Land."