Topic > "Break Break Break" Analysis

'Break break break' is a poem published in 1842, during the early Victorian era. It explores Tennyson's feelings of loss regarding the death of his friend, Arthur Hallam. The poem syncretizes the cycle perpetual nature with the speaker's bitter desire for the world to stop. This poem's purpose may be to unite the masses' experience of grief, thus providing comfort in the knowledge that most individuals struggle to deal with feelings. of tumultuous and strenuous grief. However, Tennyson's speaker may also be grappling with the idea that loss itself can have challenging effects on rationality. Say no to plagiarism prohibited"? Get an original essay Before delving further. In the argument presented, it is important to define "rationality" in order to avoid the mystification of the transmission of various meanings. VB Shneider suggests that one should be aware of the context from which the definitions emerged, especially following Anglo-'s "phenomena of rationality". Saxon social philosophy and philosophy of science. After examining dictionary definitions, he concludes that rationality is "a reasonably based normativeness that ensures a convenient process of activity." However, as a result, the question of what is “normal” follows. He proposes that there are two main types of norms in cultural reality, the traditional ones that have "arised spontaneously in the process of social development" and the other norms that are "textually" formed on logical arguments. This has significant basis as social standards have a strong influence on the idea of ​​“normal.” Normality, seen through the eyes of the beholder, is distorted by society's clouded lenses. To a large extent, the speaker allows his pain to overcome rationality, yet he should not be condemned for this emotional response. His bitterness extends only to words, not actions, thus satisfying the utilitarian methodology of taking legally suitable actions that produce non-harmful consequences for society. Tennyson showcases the speaker's bitterness by employing the imperative command. This is further complemented by the use of repetition, thus emphasizing the speaker's acrimony towards the impervious barrier created by death. "Break, break, break, On your cold gray stones, O sea!" The use of conduplicatio creates poetic intensity and encourages the reader to continue further. The staccato rhythm, created by three consecutive stressed syllables, suggests that anguish is a continuous cycle, dominated by discontinuous memories of the past. Alternatively, it could be argued that Tennyson used this method to create a haunting and poignant image. The hard “k” could represent cracks spreading in the speaker's heart, demonstrating the ruinous effect of loss. In her landmark 1969 book On Death and Dying, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross popularized the idea of ​​the five stages of grief. This may suggest why there is a concomitance of capricious emotions throughout Tennyson's poetry, ranging from resentment to nostalgia to acceptance. Consequently, the erratic nature of the speaker's emotions suggests that pain supersedes rationality. The polarized and intermittent emotional turmoil is directed towards various destinations, including lifeless entities such as the sea. This is a departure from the label that society has given itself as "normal", however it is questionable whether an absence of normality in pain is possible. Perhaps Tennyson is suggesting that irrationality validates pain and demonstrates authenticity. The speaker's desire for the spiritual dimension might suggest that the'.