Topic > My Understanding of Alfred Lord Tennyson's Poetry

For my literature analysis, I have chosen the work "Tears, Idle Tears", written by Alfred Lord Tennyson in 1847 (Tennyson, 1847). The poem does not rhyme and is in blank verse, with the same phrase at the end of every fifth line, "the days that are no more". There are repeated words that give cadence and rhythm to the poem; “sad” and “cool” in the second verse, to “sad” and “strange” in the third verse and the repetition of the phrase “the days that are no more.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay My first impression reading this poem is that the author is inexplicably saddened by looking at the autumn fields, which he describes as "happy," a statement that leads one to wonder why something he considers joyful is causing sadness. The tone tells me that the sadness comes from the end of spring and summer, and the transition into the darker times of autumn and winter. Words in its description, such as “fresh,” “sparkling,” and “glittering,” are reminiscent of new growth and the brighter times of spring and summer. On the contrary, the comparisons of the scene such as “sad” and “death in life” and phrases such as “the days that no longer exist”, make me think of the landscape that becomes more desolate as when the seasons change. The author It also seems to me that one compares the scene to another sad event that is not fully delineated in the poem, which seems to be about lost or unrequited love, or the death of a loved one. I interpret this from the passages that state: “sink with all we love,” “dear as kisses are remembered after death,” and “on the lips that are for others; Deep as love, deep as first love and wild with every regret. The overall tone of the poem is melancholy, with the author remembering the good of what was before being replaced by the desolation of what is to come. The back and forth action takes the reader into the author's inner turmoil. The passage that most captured my interest is the final paragraph, in which the author creates a very deep feeling of loss. This poem was written in 1847, which falls in the realist period. The main themes of this period were Darwinism, industrialization, individualism and the age of doubt. Darwinism is based on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, a theory that is still rejected by current religious sects. Industrialization was brought forward by the Industrial Revolution, during which a clear differentiation between the upper and lower classes became evident. Individualism is the exploration of individuality, which means realistically and accurately representing subjects. The Age of Doubt was caused by anxiety over the comfort of the past, the reality of the present, and the unknown of the future (Western Governors University, n.d., s. 6.21). During the Royalist period, there were intense changes throughout Europe and the world. United States which affected political, economic and social areas in the same way. One of the biggest contributors was the industrial revolution. Because of the class differentiation this caused between rich and poor, artists sought to capture the sad plight of the less fortunate of the time. The dramatic changes that were occurring affected all aspects of life during the Royalist period. Realist literature, like other arts of the period, was focused on capturing real-life situations. The authors moved away from the idealized romantic themes of the previous period, aptly called the Romantic period. Realistic themes in literature included direct depictions of everyday life, emphasis on scientific theories, naturalism and Darwinism,.