"I have known the arms already, known them all"

In my opinion, there are two main ideas in the poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Elliot, which are aging and women, both of which contribute to Prufrock's internal struggles. Both of these themes contribute to Prufrock's character traits and development throughout the course of the poem. First of all, his age is shown by the repetition of the concept of time, as he always says "there will be time." Although this would lead the reader to believe that he is young and has enough time to do the things he discusses, he goes on to say "With a bald spot in the middle of my hair," which is a clear indication of his discomfort about his age. Therefore, the fact that he continues to say "there will be time" can represent a sort of denial about his age, in that he tries to convince himself that he has enough time to do everything he wants. Next, he tells the reader everything he has known, which shows that he has had many experiences with people judging him and with failed love, which is most likely the reason for his timidity. Finally, Prufrock comes to terms with his age, as he ponders changing his appearance and his actions to suit his age.
Next, the women in the poem seem to be the main factor in causing his discomfort in social situations, and he continually mentions the women that "come and go, talking of Michelangelo," who clearly represent the more sophisticated women with whom he does not seem to be able to socialize. He later describes these women when talking about things that he has known, and he notes very specific details about these women which implies that he was merely watching them from a distance and was too timid to talk to them. In the last stanza, he discusses sea-girls, who basically represent the women of his dreams, and the ocean seems to be a place where he feels comfortable. However, he is awakened by reality and the true people that surround him, causing him to drown, meaning that he essentially cannot survive with these unfamiliar people.