Tears, Idle Tears by Alfred Tennyson - Summary
The poem is written by Alfred Tennyson, a Victorian poet. It is written in Blank verse. The poem presents the agony of Tennyson caused by the death of his loved ones in previous years. He reminisces those happy days and the memories and impression of the familiar ones strike his heart and bring tears from his eyes.
Stanza 1
The poet doesn't know why the tears begin to flow from his eyes without any recent bad happening or maybe he is aware of the cause but tries to repress the mental pain. The tears might flow due to some deep sadness arise in his heart and makes an outlet in form of tears. The season of Autumn goes on and the poet gazes on the fields and contemplates the good old days which are gone.
Stanza 2
As the poet thinks deep about past days, he says that when the first rays of sun fall upon the ships, it seems that his friends who are long gone returns from the underworld ( the world of the dead) i.e. the memories of them enliven them in poet's mind. But as the last rays of the sun which appear to be red falls, all his loved one vanish. The experience is fresh yet sad as those days in which they were alive would not come back again.
Stanza 3
During the summer season, the song of the birds which have just awaken in the early morning make sad and appear strange to the person who is on the verge of death and the window appears to be a sparkling square (window) to the dying person. The poet recalls that it is so sad and strange that those days are no more.
Stanza 4
The poet misses the lovely kisses of loved ones after their death and now the poet feels that those kisses were "hopeless fancy" and were intended to others not him. Those kisses are deep just like love and special like first love. The poet has regrets too buried in his heart which he wishes he could change them and now the poet is living a deathly life without any joy and reminiscing good old days.
Stanza 1
The poet doesn't know why the tears begin to flow from his eyes without any recent bad happening or maybe he is aware of the cause but tries to repress the mental pain. The tears might flow due to some deep sadness arise in his heart and makes an outlet in form of tears. The season of Autumn goes on and the poet gazes on the fields and contemplates the good old days which are gone.
Stanza 2
As the poet thinks deep about past days, he says that when the first rays of sun fall upon the ships, it seems that his friends who are long gone returns from the underworld ( the world of the dead) i.e. the memories of them enliven them in poet's mind. But as the last rays of the sun which appear to be red falls, all his loved one vanish. The experience is fresh yet sad as those days in which they were alive would not come back again.
Stanza 3
During the summer season, the song of the birds which have just awaken in the early morning make sad and appear strange to the person who is on the verge of death and the window appears to be a sparkling square (window) to the dying person. The poet recalls that it is so sad and strange that those days are no more.
Stanza 4
The poet misses the lovely kisses of loved ones after their death and now the poet feels that those kisses were "hopeless fancy" and were intended to others not him. Those kisses are deep just like love and special like first love. The poet has regrets too buried in his heart which he wishes he could change them and now the poet is living a deathly life without any joy and reminiscing good old days.