Tennyson?S “In Memoriam” Essay, Research Paper

In Memoriam

‘’Behold we know not anything

I can but trust that good shall fall

At last –far off-at last to all

And every winter change to spring.’’

Tennyson’s poem, In Memoriam, was written in memory of his good friend that died. Tennyson expresses his grief and mourns for his loss through the poem. He is grieving when he writes the poem, but he knows that with time the pain he feels will go away; and this is expressed in his poem.

To convey how he is feeling, Tennyson uses many poetic strategies. His poem is iambic; the unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable, which creates a flow for each line. The stressing of the syllables also allows for the reader to get a particular feel for the words being read; specifically the feelings of the poet. The rhyme scheme (a-b-b-a) gives each stanza a sense of it’s own completion, or the sense of being a complete thought. The scheme also emphasizes the long reach of the outer rhyme of each line, also helping to create a smoother flow for the poem.

The elected stanza is basically Tennyson acknowledging that despite the amount of grief he feels that things will eventually get better-“I can but trust that good shall fall..” Tennyson’s rhyme makes a strong pattern which is reliable and unbreakable, establishing a good constant beat.

Tennyson also uses personification to emphasize his words. He says that “ good shall fall”, suggesting that good feelings will eventually be layed upon him, relieving him of his grief. Two lines after that line, he mentions another change. He says, “eventually winter changes to spring’’, and spring is commonly known as a time of regrowth and new beginnings. Whereas winter is typically a time where growth is stopped and things temporarily come to a stop.

Tennyson uses all of these techniques not only in the selected poem, but throughout his remaining stanzas as well, helping to give the reader a sense of how the poet was feeling when this poem was written.