break break break赏析

Appreciation of Break Break Break This poem is written by Tennyson in honor of his best friend Arthur Hallam,who had passed away at an age of 22.

Rhyme scheme and meter

Line 2 and 4 of each stanza had end rhyme,eg:sea and me,play and bay,hill and still.

The poem begins with “break break break”,consonants like “b”and “k”creating a feeling of pressing and rudeness,the sound of waves striking the rocks,striking on Tennyson’s heart relentlessly, making him heartbroken.the second line uses 5 vowels:/au/,/u:/,/u/,when reading with low speed it creates a sense of solemn,especially the deep sigh “Oh sea”at the end showing the sorrow of the poet. The lines are ended with vowels:/i/,/ei/,/i:/which sound tender.Words like “tender”“grace”“day”create a pleasing music quality.

Rhetorical devices

1）Personification ,metaphor and apostrophe are applied in line 1 and 2

2）Alliteration :boat on the bay(line8)

day that is dead(line15)

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break break break赏析

Similar is used in stanza 3(line9-12):And the stately ships go on

To their heaven under the hill

But 0 for the touch of a vanished hand

And the sound of a voice that is still

3）Repetend : repetition of “break break break”and “0 sea”“0 well for”

4）Paradox :touch of a vanished hand ,sound of a voice that is still

Image

The poem has depicted a picture of seascape.Tennyson was standing on the bank of the ocean ,the wave hitting against the rocks ,the fisherman’s boy happily playing with his sister,the sailor singing cheerfully.While the ship stately goes to their harbour.

Emotion

1）memory of his friend

While surrounded by such brisk scenery,the poet is in deep grief. His best friend,Arthur Hallam has passed away. Facing the spray,he tries to feel the vanished hand and the familiar voice,but his dear friend has forever gone.

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break break break赏析

The waves of the ocean keep crushing against the rocks creating a sound of “break break break”,it seems that we can hear the poet is like the rock while heartbroken. Before the night falls, everything tends to quiet down,the poet is left isolated,mourning “the tender grace of a day that is dead”

2)indifference of nature

Such is ocean,regardless of the loss of anyone,it keeps splashing onto the shore,mercilessly and pitilessly, so cold,indifferent and abiding. Such is nature,it changes with time,human life is just a short chapter of the whole time.

Here comes the contrast: one is the lively fisherman’s children and singing sailor full of youthful spirit,another is the ship going into harbour representing the end of life,contrast between life and death,sound and quietness,vigour and stillness,the permanent and lasting images and the temporariness of human life.

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