Tears, Idle Tears

3 1 0
                                    

Yet another poem by Tennyson, equally as depressing and beautiful as 'Break, break, Break.' This one is a song from the long narrative poem 'The Princess'.


                                                           Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,
                                                   Tears from the depth of some divine despair
                                                   Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,
                                                   In looking on the happy autumn fields,
                                                   And thinking of the days that are no more.

                                                           Fresh as the first beam of glittering on a sail,
                                                   That brings our friends up from the underworld,
                                                   Sad as the last which reddens over one
                                                   That sinks with all we love below the verge;
                                                   So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more.

                                                           Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns
                                                   The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds
                                                   To dying ears, when unto dying eyes
                                                   The casement slowly grows a glimmering square;
                                                   So sad, so strange, the days that are no more.

                                                           Dear as remembered kisses after death,
                                                    And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigned
                                                    On lips that are for others; deep as love,
                                                    Deep as first love, and wild with all regret;
                                                    O Death in Life, the days that are no more.


                                                

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: Mar 12, 2020 ⏰

Add this story to your Library to get notified about new parts!

My Favorite PoemsWhere stories live. Discover now