Break, break, break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
O, well for the fisherman's boy,
That he shouts with his sister at play!
O, well for the sailor lad,
That he sings in his boat on the bay!
And the stately ships go on
To their haven under the hill;
But O for the touch of a vanished hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still!
Break, break, break,
At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!
But the tender grace of a day that is dead
Will never come back to me.
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I love this poem... "Break, break, break..." one could almost hear the wave action against the rugged shore.
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There is a sense that his grief has isolated him because he can only write what he feels, not say it: "I would that my tongue could utter". It contrasts with the shouting and singing of the next stanza to suggest a further distancing from life in general.
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One can see can see the contrast between eternal and temporal. The grey stones contrast with his thoughts, vanished hand and stilled voice contrast with the playing and singing of children. The breaking of the waves are in contrast with the passing of one day.
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Break, break, break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
It is an easier poem with a note of gentle sadness.It is also a poem on personal grief.But the grief is set against things,which are permanent.The flow of life continues and the personal grief may find some consolation in it.The appeal of the poem,besides its lyrical quality,lies in its strong sense of contrast between personal and general aspect of life.
Break, break, break,
At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!
But the tender grace of a day that is dead
Will never come back to me. -
I do so love Alfred Lord Tennyson's work. The imagery his words create leave me sighing.
♥ Kimberly -
The poem is definitely in the public domain. It stood out in large volume of poetry called "British Poets", and I put it to music. I didn't have to change a word, which is rare. It is the sign of a truely lasting poem.
Edited on Dec 10, 8:14 p.m. because ''.
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