Final answer:
The main conflict in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is Man vs. Self, where the character struggles with self-doubt and introspection, differing from a traditional love song that usually focuses on external romantic experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main type of conflict in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot is Man vs. Self. Unlike a typical love song that might explore the joys and sorrows of an outward romantic experience, this poem delves deep into the psyche of the narrator, presenting a stream of consciousness fraught with self-doubt and introspective anxieties. Prufrock's internal struggle is evident as he grapples with his own feelings of inadequacy, indecisiveness, and the fear of aging and death. He is in conflict with his own desires to find meaning and connection, which is in stark contrast to the traditionally externalized passions of love songs.
Therefore, we can see that this narrative poem turns the typical themes of a love song inward, focusing on Prufrock's internal conflict rather than an external romance. The similarities it possesses to a love song might include the yearning and the emotional intensity that characterize many romantic lyrics, but in Prufrock’s case, these are directed at himself rather than another person.