Read the excerpt from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." And indeed there will be time To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I da
re?” Time to turn back and descend the stair, With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— [They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”] My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin— [They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”] Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. Which lines indicate that the speaker is concerned about what others think of him?
"With a bald spot in the middle of my hair—" and "They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”
Explanation:
The lines that indicate that the speaker is concerned about what others think of him are: "With a bald spot in the middle of my hair—" and "They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”
He asks "do I dare?", mentions the bald spot others will notice. He also describes efforts he has made to be presentable (his coat, collar, and necktie fixed with a pin yet people will still notice his thin arms and legs. He feels vulnerable and on display to be judged, as the 'universe' is disturbed by him.
Explanation:
The lines reflect both his efforts to be acceptable as well as his fears of what others may notice. He questions his worthiness and self-worth in his worries.
