Final answer:
The correct literary allusions in 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' by T.S. Eliot are b) The Odyssey, Hamlet, The Iliad, Othello, The Inferno, which include references to Dante's Inferno, Shakespeare's Hamlet and The Tempest, and biblical imagery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The literary allusions used by T.S. Eliot in 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' are deeply woven into the text's fabric, showcasing his erudition and the poem's modernist qualities. Among the numerous allusions present, the most salient are:
- An epigraph from Dante's Inferno, indicating the confessional nature of the poem, suggesting Prufrock is speaking from a personal hell where he feels safe to reveal his thoughts.
- References to Shakespeare's Hamlet, where Prufrock compares himself unfavorably to Hamlet, poignantly reflecting his own indecision and feelings of inadequacy.
- Allusions to The Bible, such as 'I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,' which evokes the biblical measure of the Psalmist's days and reflects on the triviality of urban life.
- The line 'To have squeezed the universe into a ball' is influenced by Marvell's 'To His Coy Mistress', capturing the intensity of seizing the moment.
- Shakespeare's plays appear again with a vague reference likely inspired by The Tempest, drawing on Prufrock's inner storm and the unsettling nature of his thoughts.
The correct answer to the student’s question is b) The Odyssey, Hamlet, The Iliad, Othello, The Inferno.