Lord Alfred Tennyson
After reading Lord Alfred Tennyson’s “Tears, Idle Tears” another name was added to my list of favorites. I wasn’t too familiar with too many of his pieces, but this one I really liked and kind of connected with. It wasn’t until recently, about the past two years or so, that I had ever just cried for “no apparent reason.” (I’m not trying to go Dr. Phil on you, promise) But reading this piece made re think about some of those moments when I have and it made think about the afterlife as well. Tennyson describes the past as “Death in Life” and the “days that are no more.” He actually repeats this line at the end of every stanza emphasizing the hold that the past has on him and its meaning. To merely look “on the happy Autumn-fields” and have tears fall, shows that’s he has a deep connection with his memories and his emotions which I think is very important. He also seemed to have some inner battles going on which you can also sense in the melancholy over-tone of the piece. There are many good poets, but this is a personal piece which still reaches out to many different individuals. The language of his poetry was intriguing as well: idle tears; half-awaken’d birds; dear as remembered kisses after death, tears from the depth of some divine despair. Out of all of the poets we’ve read in this class, I think I would have taken pleasure in having a literary conversation with him.
3 comments:
LaDonna - I too have cried for no apparent reason. I think it's a woman thing. :) But Tennyson’s inexplicable tears were, as you described, due to a “deep connection with his memories.” I thought this poem was pretty, yet gloomy. The speaker is wallowing in his grief and his memories of days gone by. I wanted to tell him to snap out of it!
LaDonna,
I am very glad you have begun posting on your blog. Good focus on this brief poem by Tennsyon, and good discussion of the repeated images and phrases in th poem.
I enjoyed your take on this poem and how you related it to your own experiences. Good Job!
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