Free Association

Free association- A spontaneous, logically unconstrained and undirected association of ideas, emotions, and feelings. (dictionary.com)
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When I say water, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

How about trees?

Roses?

Is there anything strange about this:

Brown
Green
Blue
Yellow
Purple
Orange
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The reason why the words written above may seem a bit odd is because your brain has, over time, made neural pathways that associate for example, the word green, with its color. In this case, the neural pathway follows a logical progression. When you see the word, you will think of the color. Your brain however, has many, many pathways, and the connection between them can often seem extremely random. When these seemingly random connections are harnessed and manifested into a literary form, a powerful tool for depicting the human thought process results. T.S. Eliot, uses this method of free association in his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", to simulate the seemingly illogical progression of human thought, and through his protagonist J. Alfred Prufrock, speaks to the shallow nature of humanity in regards to looks and physical characteristics.

Eliot depicts Prufrock as an old, blistering character that worries about the effect of aging on other's perception of him. "I grow old...I grow old... I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled," he says. Shortly after he states, "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think they will sing to me." The connection between these two lines is evident in that the mermaid's lack of singing is derived from the idea of women not finding Prufrock attractive. The association, though clear when analyzed, may not be easily understood at first. Eliot capitalizes on this fact in order to convey the confusion many have as they try to cope with aging. The free association technique is helpful in portraying this confusion as the audience may not understand the jumping from one idea to the other. Eliot's brisk touching of each topic before jumping to another also helps to convey the shallow thoughts that many have in regards to their looks. It is this technique that gives life to Eliot's character and a deeper meaning to what may seem to be a shallow and confusing poem on first read.