The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The line "I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker" relates back to Coy Mistress and time. Prufrock has seen his peak come and go and now feels like there's nothing left. The "Footman" relates back to the chariot that is coming in Coy Mistress because they both represent death and the end their journeys. The relation to time connects to the second stanza in the coy mistress where he discusses how time will pass us bye and we will miss out on the best parts. Well in this case Prufrock has already experienced the best; therefore, he has nothing left to look forward to and has nothing left to live for. However, the word "flicker" suggests that he did not quite reach his peak for whatever reason but comes back to the warning made in the Coy Mistress about losing the opportunity and happiness because of fear or worry.