Poem: Break Break Break by Lord Alfred Tennyson

 Poem: Break Break Break by Lord Alfred Tennyson

1 Stanza:

Break, break, break,   A
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!   B
And I would that my tongue could utter   C
The thoughts that arise in me.  D

RHYME SCHEME:ABCD

Paraphrasing:

The waves break endlessly on the cold, gray stones by the shore. I wish I could find the words to express the deep and overwhelming emotions stirring within me.

2 Stanza:

O well for the fisherman's boy,  A
That he shouts with his sister at play!  B
O well for the sailor lad,    C
That he sings in his boat on the bay!  D

RHYME SCHEME:ABCD

Paraphrasing
How fortunate the fisherman’s boy is, laughing and playing with his sister, and how happy the young sailor seems, singing cheerfully as he sails in the bay.

3 Stanza:

And the stately ships go on (gigantic)   A
To their haven under the hill; (harbor/port)   B
But O for the touch of a vanished hand,   C
And the sound of a voice that is still!       B

RHYME SCHEME:ABCB

Paraphrasing
The majestic ships continue their journey, heading steadily to the safety of the harbor. Yet, I long for the touch of a hand that is invisible now, that I will never feel again and the sound of a voice that has fallen silent forever.

4 Stanza:

Break, break, break,  A
At the foot of thy crags, O Sea! (your. cliff)  B
But the tender grace of a day that is dead (kind)  C
Will never come back to me.    D

RHYME SCHEME:ABCD

Paraphrasing
The waves keep crashing at the base of the rocky cliffs, relentless and unchanging. But the gentle beauty of days gone by, and the loved one I mourn, will never return to me.

Theme

The primary theme of "Break, Break, Break" is grief and loss. The poem explores the deep sorrow of losing a loved one and the painful contrast between the unchanging rhythm of nature and the finality of human absence. Tennyson uses the sea as a metaphor for the relentless passage of time, which continues unaffected by personal suffering.

Central Idea

The poem's central idea is the inevitability of loss and the enduring pain it leaves behind. Tennyson contrasts the carefree joy of others and the perpetual motion of the sea with his own unending grief. While life and nature move on, the tender moments shared with a lost loved one remain irretrievable, leaving the speaker in a state of longing and despair.

Summary:

Tennyson conveys his deep sorrow and longing for a lost loved one in this poem. He watches the relentless waves crashing on the shore and feels his inability to express the emotions welling up inside him. He contrasts his grief with the carefree joy of a fisherman’s boy playing with his sister and a sailor happily singing in his boat. Meanwhile, he mourns the absence of a beloved hand and voice that are now forever gone. The poem highlights the enduring pain of loss against the constant, unchanging rhythm of the sea and the passage of time.

Literary Devices in "Break, Break, Break"

 Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds enhances the musicality of the poem.

Example: "Break, break, break" (repetition of the "b" sound).

Imagery

Vivid descriptions appeal to the senses, creating strong visual and emotional effects.

Example: "On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!" evokes a stark and somber image of the sea and its surroundings.

Personification

The sea is given human qualities to mirror the speaker’s emotions.

Example: "Break, break, break, on thy cold gray stones, O Sea!" portrays the sea as relentless and unfeeling.

Contrast

The speaker contrasts their grief with the joy of others.

Example: The carefree laughter of the fisherman’s boy and the singing of the sailor highlight the speaker’s sorrow.

Symbolism

The sea symbolizes the unchanging flow of time and the indifference of nature to human grief.

The "vanished hand" and "voice that is still" symbolize the loved one who has passed away.

Repetition

The repetition of "Break, break, break" emphasizes the relentless and unchanging nature of the sea, mirroring the speaker's unending grief.

Enjambment

Lines flow into the next without a pause, reflecting the continuous motion of the sea and the speaker’s ongoing sorrow.

Example: "And the stately ships go on / To their haven under the hill."

Mood

The poem creates a somber, reflective mood that captures the speaker’s sense of loss and longing.

Metaphor

The sea acts as a metaphor for the unstoppable passage of time and the speaker’s inability to halt their pain.

Example: The "tender grace of a day that is dead" symbolizes the memories of lost moments.