Lines 23-34

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Original

And indeed there will be time 
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street, 
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes; 
There will be time, there will be time 
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; 
There will be time to murder and create, 
And time for all the works and days of hands 
That lift and drop a question on your plate;                    
Time for you and time for me, 
And time yet for a hundred indecisions 
And for a hundred visions and revisions 
Before the taking of a toast and tea. 

Interpretation

Prufrock, unlike most men, is in no hurry to investigate his "love". He is almost procrastinating to explore his feelings towards this unknown woman. Or maybe his procrastination isn't to explore his feelings. Perhaps it is to even further evade from the overwhelming question. The repetition of "there will be time" annotates the sense that Prufrock is  unsure of his intents. It raises the thought that he hasn't convinced himself or his partner. To "prepare a face" sends a message that Prufrock must hide his true emotions from  his lover. Mixing this message with his "time to murder and create" develops a very menacing    annotation. It seems as if Prufrock is reluctant to face his emotions, placing his everyday activities higher on the priority list. The description of body parts like "hands" and "faces" instead of the individual may reveal a sense of worthlessness that Prufrock displays towards the individual. The dropping of "a question on your plate" reveals how Prufrock is faced with dilemmas in which uncertainty plays a large factor in. His indecisiveness and inclination to revise such decisions show how he may be a little short in the leadership and decision-making department. On the contrary it may just be illustrating Prufrock's insight and his analytical abilities. We, the reader, must endeavour deeper into the poem if we are to discover Prufrock's true intentions.