Grief is one of the most powerful emotions a individual can experience. This is actually the predominant theme of the poem 'Respite, Break, Rest' by Alfred Tennyson, written around 1834, around a year after the loss of life of his good friend Arthur Henry Hallam. 'Rest, Break, Break in the action' can be interpreted as a written exemplory case of the grief experienced by Tennyson at the increased loss of his friend. This article will examine the many techniques used by Tennyson to convey his feelings to the audience.
The repetition of the word 'Break in the action' in the starting line, can be looked at on a number of levels; at its most elementary it could be seen to be a literal description of the waves breaking upon 'they cold gray stones', it might however, also be talking about the heartbreak noticed by the words of the poem. Once the repetition of the term 'respite' is combined with the trimeter composition of the starting line, it forms a rhythmic defeat, comparable to that of a ticking clock; which symbolically can be perceived to represent not only the unrelenting breaking of the ocean, but also the unrelenting march of their time itself, which we all eventually send to. On another level the breaking waves can be a metaphor for the waves of feeling breaking on the tone, drowning them in their grief.
In the final two lines of the opening stanza, the voice reveals their aspire to connect 'The thoughts that occur' within them, this exhibits a high level of irony given that the whole of the poem itself can be an expression with their 'thoughts'. The theme of communication practices on in to the second stanza; the explanations of your 'fisherman's son' shouting with 'his sister at play!', and a 'sailor lad' performing in 'his fishing boat on the bay!', both show types of the worlds capability to make noises which is within direct comparison to the tone of voice. They both also show that regardless of the speech of the poem feeling as if the world has ended, they have in fact carried on. The usage of an exclamation mark at the end of both information can be looked at to signify both voice's discomfort to these interruptions to his silent grief, and also their annoyance at the worlds seeming indifference to their anguish.
The third stanza shows a good example of Tennyson's careful choice of words when describing the destination of the 'stately ships'; he chooses to use the term 'haven' instead of the more apparent harbour. This works as a result of two different meanings of the chosen term, when read in context it identifies the port where the ships are going, however its alternate meaning of a place of shelter and safeguard fits perfectly with the fundamental theme of the poem; being that shelter and security from their grief is something that the tone is looking for. There is also a point appealing when noting the positioning of the 'haven' where in fact the ships are going, it is explain to be 'under the hill:', this could be symbolic to be buried, which would tie up in with the topics of death and grief that are present within the poem. The ultimate two lines of the 3rd stanza reaffirm the yearning noticed by the voice, this time around for 'the touch of an vanish'd hands', and also to once again hear the 'voice that is still!'; the idea of a mute tone of voice is something that was actually seen in the starting stanza, this time nevertheless the 'still' tone is referering to the deceased, this link is something with strengthens the link between the speech and the source of these grief; this website link between tone and departed is something that strengthens the bond of the two to the audience, allowing the grief of the voice's reduction to feel more legitimate.
The final stanza begins with the repetition of 'Period of time', observed in the opening line. This brings a sense of the poem coming full circle and allows the audience to conclude that the finish is coming close to. Employing this repetition once more it is set up that the voice's mind-set and even the theme of the poem continue to be firmly entrenched in grief; despite all those things has gone before it the reiteration of the repetition of 'Break in the action' construe that the voice's center is still destroyed, indeed even that their head, body and heart are busted too. This also forms a kind of connection between your tone of voice and the deceased, where we have the literally useless person, we likewise have the words themselves, who is experiencing a kind of living fatality, isolated within their own grief unable to reveal in the pleasure of the world exhibited by the 'fisherman's young man' and the 'sailor lad', but also struggling to even speak the enormous sorrow that they are experiencing; on both ends of the spectrum of human emotion they are really in isolation.
In conclusion upon reading 'Chance, Break, Respite', the audience is remaining in little question as to what the predominant theme of the poem is. Tennyson achieves this on two levels, firstly in a literal sense, upon an initial read through of the poem were offered a information of a person that has suffered reduction and is grieving as a result; Tennyson reinforces this them to the audience through brilliant use of techniques such as repetition, structure and choice of terms and punctuation, these just work at a level where in fact the reader doesn't have to be consciously aware of them in order for them to succeed.
