The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table; And seeing that it was a soft October night, Curled once about the house, and fell asleep...

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;

And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!
Smoothed by long fingers,

What is the most likely reason for Prufrock’s emphasis on the afternoon and evening hours?

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The emphasis on Evenings, Mornings, Afternoons is an allusion to the Philosopher Henry Bergson's work. Bergson believed that perception of time works as a continuous flow rather than measure units dictated by man made concepts like calendars and clocks. To Prufrock the day is merely one unit of morning, evening, and afternoon. This is a very natural progression that aligns one's natural rhythms with the day.