11th class Poem " Break Break Break"
BY
Lord Alfred Tennyson
Original Readings
Break, Break, Break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And 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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Stanza-1
Break, Break, Break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-1:
The waves crash against the cold, grey stones of the sea, and I wish I could find the words to express the deep emotions and thoughts stirring inside me.
Stanza-2
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!
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-2:
The fisherman's boy is happy, playing and shouting with his sister, and the young sailor is joyful as he sings in his boat out on the bay.
Stanza-3
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!
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-3:
The grand ships continue their journey to the safe harbor below the hill. But I long for the touch of a hand that is no longer there and the sound of a voice that has gone silent.
Stanza-4
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.
Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-4:
Crash, crash, crash, against the base of your cliffs, O Sea! But the gentle beauty of a day that’s gone will never return to me.
Meaning of Crag:
"Crags" refer to steep, rugged rocks or cliffs. In the poem's context, "crags" are the rough, rocky parts of the shoreline against which the sea is crashing.
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The Summary of " Break Break Break" by Lord Alfred Tennyson
In "Break, Break, Break," Tennyson reflects on the sea's unceasing waves crashing against the rocks, expressing a wish that he could convey the deep emotions he feels. He contrasts the joy of others—like the fisherman’s son playing and the sailor singing—with his own longing for the presence of someone who has passed away. Despite the ongoing movement of ships and the relentless waves, the poet laments that the gentle beauty of the past cannot return.
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The central idea of the Poem " Break Break Break" by Lord Alfred Tennyson
The central idea of "Break, Break, Break" is the poet's expression of grief and longing for the past. He contrasts the joyful and lively moments of others, like children playing and sailors singing, with his own sorrow over the absence of a loved one. Despite the ongoing movement and activity around him, he mourns the loss of a loved one and laments that the beautiful and tender moments of the past are forever gone and cannot be reclaimed.
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