And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully! Smoothed by long fingers, Asleep ... tired ... or it malingers, Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me. Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis? But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed, Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter, I am no prophet — and here’s no great matter; 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 stanza, Prufock is saying that after a long day, they will sleep together in peace. He does not know whether or not to break some bad news to her (he is dying) after a peaceful day of romance and peace together. After thinking hard about it, it has caused him anguish. He does not know how to convey this bad news to her, but he knows that he does not have long left to live. This scares him.