Answer :
In the excerpt from T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker compares himself to an insect in the following lines:
"And I have known the eyes already, known them all-
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,
And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,"
In these lines, the speaker describes the feeling of being observed and judged, like an insect pinned and wriggling on the wall. This comparison highlights the speaker's sense of vulnerability and exposure, as if he is trapped and powerless in the eyes of others. The imagery of being "sprawling on a pin" evokes a sense of helplessness and discomfort, akin to an insect impaled and struggling.
By using this comparison, Eliot conveys the speaker's feelings of insignificance, self-consciousness, and alienation in the face of societal expectations and scrutiny. The insect metaphor adds depth to the speaker's internal struggle and illuminates his sense of being confined and judged in a critical world.
"And I have known the eyes already, known them all-
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,
And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,"
In these lines, the speaker describes the feeling of being observed and judged, like an insect pinned and wriggling on the wall. This comparison highlights the speaker's sense of vulnerability and exposure, as if he is trapped and powerless in the eyes of others. The imagery of being "sprawling on a pin" evokes a sense of helplessness and discomfort, akin to an insect impaled and struggling.
By using this comparison, Eliot conveys the speaker's feelings of insignificance, self-consciousness, and alienation in the face of societal expectations and scrutiny. The insect metaphor adds depth to the speaker's internal struggle and illuminates his sense of being confined and judged in a critical world.