Read the excerpt from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, And in short, I was afraid. In this excerpt, “the eternal Footman” is most likely an allusion to

A footman is a servant, but the word “eternal” suggests a figure who accompanies people beyond ordinary life. The image of this figure holding Prufrock’s coat and snickering as he fears his own decline points to Death, personified as a servant waiting for him.

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