Is modern life automated and devoid of purposeful existence? Does humanity suffer from a lack of vision and purpose in life? Can individuals in today's contemporary society cope with the mediocrity, monotony and emptiness of their lives? Nearly 100 years after its first publication, T. S. Eliot's poetry still resonates with us, thanks to his exploration of these timeless, universal, and enduring questions that characterize the powerlessness of the modern individual. In response to the aftermath of the First World War and the paradigm shift resulting from rapid industrialization and urbanization, Eliot presents a panoramic perspective of the futility and chaos that characterized the postwar environment. Loss of individualism, relaxed moral standards, alienationAlfred Prufrock. The relevance of this poem comes from Eliot's transformation of his own personal experience of alienation and isolation into a subjective, relatable narrative in which we can locate truths about ourselves. The poem is an acute fusion of modernity and self-consciousness that is debilitating and paralyzing. Prufrock looks metaphorically through his window but never meaningfully engages with the outside world. He is an elderly man who laments the emptiness of his life and the lack of intellectual, sexual and spiritual fulfillment. His existential questions engage us as a modern audience, provoking us to question the integrity of our personhood. The anonymity of the third person “they” represents their inability to connect and create meaningful relationships due to this paranoia. This exploration of fear and doubt continues throughout the poem as Prufrock asks a profound question: “Do I dare disturb the universe?” The use of this rhetorical question conveys the tension between Prufrock's awareness that it is advantageous to reject the complacent acceptance of designated identities and his belief that to belong he must conform. By living and experiencing our contemporary society we can relate to Prufrock's internal struggle by recognizing this tension between conforming to society's expectations and developing our own identity. Eliot effectively warns against getting caught in this state of Prufrockian paralysis, whereby people are paralyzed by doubt and social insecurity. He explains how the ontological journey towards self-knowledge is hindered by insecurity and our struggle to connect and communicate meaningfully with others. This state of paralysis and inaction is echoed in another of Eliot's poems "The Hollow Men", in which Eliot suggests modern life can be tepid, indecisive, automated and aimless, trapping humanity in a mindlessness sense.