Prufrock-Shmufrock? An Appendage to J. Alfred's Nomenclature

Abstract Is Prufrock's name a mere will-o'-the-wisp? Several lengthy studies of its meaning, etymologically and onomastically (or connotatively), have raised a number of issues concerning what Eliot had in mind, consciously or unconsciously. These have, to some extent, overlapped, and so a study bringing them together is in order. Each segment of the full name deserves careful study again, including the ambiguous initial, the resonant middle name, and the Germanic surname.