Reddit post about The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Come join the discussion! Reddit user StevenStevenson says:

After numerous re-readings of the poem, there are still some aspects of its literal content that I'm not sure I understand.

Is he (perhaps hypothetically) in bed with the woman who says, "That is not what I meant, all" (97, 109)? In line 96, she's "settling a pillow by her head".

I initially imagined the speaker as an old man in a stale sexless marriage, trying to be bold and bring their sex-lives back from the dead. But he's single (alone), right?

Also, I have no idea what to make of the final stanza; It seems to come out of nowhere.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea

By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown

Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

My impression is that he's imagining these beautiful mythical women, and is interrupted by someone, a human, a woman, maybe. But why do "we drown"?

I apologize; I feel pretty lame asking someone to explain this to me, but I think It's such a wonderful poem and it bothers me that I'm unsure about these critical points.

This is the sort of thing I live for! Come participate!