The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot, is a poetic monologue in which the narrator, J. Alfred Prufrock, expresses his feelings of alienation and insecurity in a world that he perceives to be hostile and uncaring. Using metaphor and imagery, Prufrock muses on his own isolation, lack of confidence in himself and in humanity, and despair at his perceived inability to take meaningful action or even to express himself honestly. The poem represents a modernist exploration of psychological, spiritual, and social alienation in the early 20th century.