"When the eveing is sperad out against the sky - like a patient etherized upon a table."

T.S. Eliot's landmark peom "The love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" connects old world traditions with the complexities of a modernist society. Eliot often uses complex and even seemingly contradictory ideas in the workings of his poem; however, when closely examined, a coherent message can be identified. The line near the beggining of the first stanza, "When the evening spread out against the sky- like a patient etherized upon a table" exemplifies the character of Eliots writing. The line demonstrates the complexity between nature and modern society. Nature, a prominent element of traditional poetry, is compared with modern civilization represented by the description of the “etherized” patient . Although a juxtaposition exists with nature and modern civilization the line is clearly intended to make a comparison between the two. In connecting nature as a representation of traditional poetry with “a patient ehterized upon a table” a combonation of traditional style poetry and modernist poetry is formed as a common element of Eliot’s style. Furthermore, the purpose of this message may be to communicate that society has lost touch with nature; however, there is inherently a compatablility between the two.