How Tennyson Grieves In Poetry

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SOURCES
Hallam Tennyson's biography of his father:
archive.org/embed/alfredlordt...
Kissane, James. “Tennyson: The Passion of the Past and the Curse of Time.” ELH, vol. 32, no. 1, 1965, pp. 85-109. JSTOR, doi.org/10.2307/2872373
Rackin, Phyllis. “Recent Misreadings of ‘Break, Break, Break’ and Their Implications for Poetic Theory.” The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, vol. 65, no. 2, 1966, pp. 217-28. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27714836
Sopher, H. “The ‘Puzzling Plainness’ of ‘Break, Break, Break’: Its Deep and Surface Structure.” Victorian Poetry, vol. 19, no. 1, 1981, pp. 87-93. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40003150
MUSIC (via Epidemic Sound)
Anna Dager, Hanna Ekström, "Suspension"
Anna Dager, Hanna Ekström, "Jordskred"
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The Nerdwriter is a series of video essays about art, culture, politics, philosophy and more.

[@thomashudry3639]

"A voice that is still" could also be read as "a voice that still is" therefore meaning that he still hears that voice. This verse and the one before not only picture absence, but the duality between presence and absence, "the touch of a vanished hand". The touch relates to something he could still feel. I find it incredible how with such a simple line he can both say the voice is gone and still here without changing anything about the line itself.

[@Kyreille]

Everytime I see a new Nerdwriter video, I know it's going to be a good day, even when it's a melancholic topic

[@MrSegrist]

I just got a phone call today that a friend of mine died; this video and Tennyson's poetry has helped me immensely in my grieving process. Thank you.

[@Arian-Mondal.1988]

May your friend rest in peace!

[@scaife]

When Hallam can write a letter that beautiful at such a young age and still see you as "the genius of the two", you know you've got something special.

[@cradac]

In German class (i'm from germany) we often had to write a poem analysis as an exam - even at the A-levels there was the option to write an analysis instead of an essay or a book comparison. But I never really understood the appeal of it or how to really write it. I never got behind the lines the artists wrote and put all analysis off as "putting words into the mouth of a dead person". I've been out of school for a few years now and I wouldn't have thought I would be confronted with this type of essay again. But if I'm honest they are some of my favourite videos of yours. I finally understand it.

[@lignjahal]

I discovered Tennyson through Del Toro’s Hellboy 2 (wild place to find him, I know). And In Memoriam Stanza 40 is still my favorite piece of poetry and I have had it memorized since I watched that movie. Tennyson’s beautiful poetry is so impactful. I appreciate the acknowledgment of his sorrowful poetry, but everyone should check out his love poems, which are just as poignant.

[@mrmarshfellow]

Those hellboy movies are cinematic masterpieces tbh

[@TheMosayat]

​@@mrmarshfellowthey are the best type of guilty pleasure

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

I am a new reader, would you please suggest a few poets you recommend. A long list would be appreciated.

[@holly5649]

“Break, break, break” to me feels like pleading for the grief to break. But grief, like the sea, is so powerful, all consuming and inescapable. He’s standing on a cliff, at the mercy of its vastness and power, just begging for it to break.

[@coyote4237]

Wonderful as always. I would argue, though, that the stately ships are being buried under the hill. childhood > adult > death. It is the "under the hill" that doesn't make sense for ships to go. The "haven" is the grave.

[@Arian-Mondal.1988]

It is 'going' under a hill to "haven", just like we do when we are adults, we are 'going' to die, to be in afterlife if you belive or decay to zero if you don't. The sheep going far emphasizes our slowly aging and imminent death and loss to entropy. You made a very good point though. Lets agree to disagree 😊

[@joshuaharper372]

I love the way Tennyson plays with the meter in this poem. All but two lines have 3 stresses, but those two (the 3rd lines of stanzas 3 and 4) have 4, and they are the lines speaking of the absence (yet phantom presence) of the lost one. The longer lines are subtly highlighted by thus rhythm, as is the relentless and sombre "Beeak, break, break" with its three stresses and concomitant pauses.

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

I am a new reader, would you please suggest a few poets you recommend. A long list would be appreciated.

[@user-pl6wk3wg6d]

"In Memoriam" was a high mark in Tennyson's elegiac poetry, but "The Lotus Eaters" was his true master-piece, on a par with the best of Swinburne. Melonchonia was always his companion in all his 'outpourings' and the old Queen Victoria (after Albert's death) wrote about sharing the sentiments of his poetry in her diaries.

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

I am a new reader, would you please suggest a few poets you recommend. A long list would be appreciated.

[@MrCymbalmonkey]

Fantastic video essay. My only qualm is that, I would argue, Lord Tennyson’s defining characteristic as a poet was not grief; his great subject was the at once irreconcilable nature of a changing world and Victorian England’s own ideals, and their interwoven identities. A man torn between national pride and nature (which Coleridge would famously remark on as art’s role; it being “the mediatress between, and reconciler of, nature and man.”) In that way, he could often be a mirrror to Milton at his finest, for his “quarrel with the world” - as Robert Frost called it - or his “negative capability”, as Keats called it. Or maybe even, less favourably, with John Clare, in that sense. Undoubtedly that topic had its own miseries - for which Tennyson worked with excellent conceit - but no more than other Britons and their subjects who would follow him in the proceeding years, or those before him: Shakespeare, Arnold, Keats, Housman, Auden, Larkin, to think of but a few. What’s remarkable about Tennyson is his lyricism - the greatest England has ever known, arguably. His match of craft with emotion was what made him the great poet he was. But ultimately, while Tennyson certainly penned some magnificent truths on sorrow, and laid his heart bare, he was not the great English poet of grief; that title belongs to Thomas Hardy.

[@adrianbyrne114]

fantastic video. i liked it within the first 30 seconds, and then got so caught up with it that halfway through I scrolled down to try to like it again without realising.

[@Theodelous1502]

This video is good i enjoyed all of it completely. Your poetry analysis is amazing man keep it up

[@evanokeeffe5505]

If we look at the order of the stanzas as the speaker slowly raising his gaze from the rocks below to the horizon, we can almost replay his actions while soaking in the scene. Pensive, but vacant. Then back to the final stanza, we can see Tennyson almost sighing back down to the rocks below (aka, reality; but in the face of death; always in the face of death).

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

I am a new reader, would you please suggest a few poets you recommend. A long list would be appreciated.

[@peterDcontact]

"It's shortness isn't at fault, it's gravity is its power" Beautiful

[@WarbossPepe]

love your poetry series. Please never stop them

[@yukimorandini9215]

this actually reminds me of a chinese poem, the english translation always loose a lot of the subtlty, but the structure, there s sth very much alike here. here is the poem. It's ten years you're gone and I'm living - to the tune of Jiangchengzi (my dream on January 20th,1075) translated by Gordon Osing and Julia Min It's ten years you're gone and I'm living in two worlds apart and fading. If l've tried hard not to recall, I’d say also I can't ignore. It's a thousand miles to your tomb; so whom can I share my mood of gloom? You would not know me by now, my temples frosted with lines on brow. Last night In the mist of my dream-world, I was home again, watching by your window. You are adorning yourself, still young and fair. Our eyes meet and freeze --- we're in silence and in tears; then the dream ends right there. Where the moon illumines your ridge of pines. I swear my heart breaks further each year

[@TheMosayat]

Yeah I can see it sounds very sad

[@chris-hayes]

Sad but sweet. Without knowing Mandarin I must say this was translated really well.

[@yukimorandini9215]

@@chris-hayes well actually it's not such a good translation since the original is written in ancien Chinese, there's no "you"or "I"existing in the text, the expression is much more subtle and vague like a dream, which is exactly what it was aiming for... not possible to translate.

[@CSM100MK2]

not really

[@valq10]

Who is the author?

[@inklingite]

I love that you do videos on poetry @Nerdwriter1. Keep keeping the eternal flame ablaze!

[@plica06]

I remember watching the Steven Spielberg move: AI, years ago. The scene where David, the boy robot, asks "Dr. Know," a holographic depiction of a kind of Prof Einstein character: "How can the Blue Fairy make a robot in to a real live boy?". Suddenly the hologram disappears and a narrator speaks the words: "Come away O human child, To the waters and the wild, With a fairy hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping, Than you can understand". My Mom was in the room at the same time and, though the narrator stops, she continued: "Where the wave of moonlight glosses, The dim gray sands with light,..." She had learnt that poem in school as a child.

[@syifams]

He wrote a series of sad poems, i remember crying to In Memoriam

[@KaleabAbayneh]

I love these poem analysis videos. Keep the good work.

[@mick16wtf]

Another beautiful analysis. We love the poetry videos too ❤

[@BbGun-lw5vi]

I adore your poetry breakdowns. This is just as good as the others.

[@vincenttavani6380]

1. Deep friendship can indicate lovers. 2. Deep love can exist between friends.

[@panoschasapis2986]

I had a class in uni about tennyson. At first his poetry felt so weird, since im not a native speaker, but as we continued reading his stuff it felt so right, the way he wrote, that now every other poet seems bland to me. Such a good poet that guy.

[@kaelbeuk1]

Keep those up ! Helps me go back to/discover more classical litt stuff, which is harder and harder when spammed with more accessible pop-culture subjects and videos

[@soymikleo]

I’ve been reading much of Tennyson recently, this is so well timed ^^^

[@valq10]

His poem 'Two Voices' he wrote aged 23 just after Hallam's death. In it he debates ending it all. Got me through some tough times that one there. Thank you Tennyson

[@KannikCat]

As someone who lost a beloved last week, this poem rings powerfully true.

[@sarahallegra6239]

I’m so sorry for your loss

[@KannikCat]

@@sarahallegra6239 Thank you.

[@CSM100MK2]

@@sarahallegra6239 liar

[@CSM100MK2]

Amazing video and analysis, though I kept waiting/hoping you would discuss "Crossing the Bar", which is where my mind immediately went when thinking grief/loss and Tennyson

[@stirwoodcraft]

These poetry skits are my favourite skits of yours

[@Oliverfk3]

Simply amazing. I must read more of him. Thanks.

[@marlo6057]

Another beautiful video!

[@Cubehead27]

Cool story: a few years ago during my undergrad I had to write a short biography of a Canadian soldier who fought in WWI, which I was then going to present about at his grave in Belgium (it was an experiential course that went overseas to see the battlefields). While trying to pick which soldier to write about I was waffling between a handful of members of one of the Canadian labour battalions, and ended up feeling drawn to one particular soldier - a Scottish-born guy killed in 1917 - whose father had chosen as his epitaph a line of poetry I wasn't familiar with: "Sunset and evening star and one clear call for me." As it turned out it was from Tennyson's poem "Crossing the Bar." I ended up researching and writing on that soldier, and now I love that poem. I do need to read more Tennyson, though - I've been intrigued by "Idylls of the King" in particular for a while now.

[@Tarunsharmafilms]

Early videos vibe and i absolutely adore it

[@markusschonhofer3219]

Great Work once again! Maybe a poem of T.S.Eliot or R.M. Rilke next time? Would love to see one of those on your channel

[@extremetee]

As basically a philistine who doesn`t really "get" most art I love these videos because he reveals the layers great art can have and even if I don`t understand it I can at least understand it bit more!

[@raghavahuja12]

Honey wake up, Nerdwriter1 just uploaded!

[@patoliterato]

Great analysis ❤

[@bbaker4117]

1:30 Tennyson's first book of poems was published in 1830, which is 7 years prior to the beginning of the Victorian Era. Regency Era is the preferred nomenclature, dude.

[@mrrohitjadhav470]

I am a new reader, would you please suggest a few poets you recommend. A long list would be appreciated.

[@yvunbun]

shed a tear at that last name reveal

[@tennysonturbeville2745]

I was named after him my best friend passed away when I was 25 I wrote a song and made a video for him and used tears idle tears at the end, although I had no idea that this was a catalyst for most of his poems Definitely my favorite

[@athiefinthenight6894]

Masterful analysis

[@hiddensolace1063]

Yes!

[@DevonMiniFlicks]

Wonderful.

[@wgolyoko]

And they were roomates.

[@ShahidKhan-cu7np]

beautiful poetry love this poetry breakdowns of yours

[@daxel5694]

I personally really like when your videos take a more literary turn, and I would love so much to listen to an analysis of yours of a poem of Philip Larkin! Thank you for your incredible content!

[@rkt7414]

Please don't make me like poets whom I spent so much of my time, as an English Major, loathing. I put too much energy into hating them. Starting to like them now would be a strike to my pride.

[@Kholdstare52]

fellow english major who HATES poetry, here to cosign. Giving me feelings i decided i didnt want to have lol

[@davebrooks452]

Your poetry reviews are the best

[@coyote4237]

English Major here who loves the poetry - you heathens. And Tennyson? Deserves all the praise he has received.

[@rkt7414]

@@coyote4237 SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!! My hardened heart refuses to feel warmth!!

[@coyote4237]

@@rkt7414 Maybe read some poetry for the heart thing? ;)

[@joshuaheadey9670]

Please please keep doing these. Nothing like this exists on YT

[@NenadZdralic]

I love this!

[@viajera_turca]

this is the best channel on youtube, hands down!

[@ahmetyegenaga]

would love if you spoke about challengers!

[@raphaferrari7361]

Excellent video as usual, Evan. And the "childhood" image reminded me the masterpieces of Joaquin Sorolla. Greetings👏👏👏👏👏

[@bug688]

Could you do this format but with all the power and conflict anthology poems preferably in the next week thank you ☺️

[@zacharywong483]

Fantastic script here!

[@StephySon]

I wonder if it was just a platonic deep friendship like kingdom hearts or maybe they had something else more passionately romantic that they kept secret hmm

[@shackledore]

Amazing!

[@battleupsaber462]

Imma be real here i didnt know Ben 10 was so....well-spoken.

[@shutupstupid5630]

It has Ben For-spoken

[@raghavapollosharma5189]

Lmfao. He got grey-matter's brain somehow lolol

[@tylerhobbs7653]

I'm lost dawg

[@luks303]

​@@tylerhobbs7653ben tennyson, from ben 10...

[@Djellowman]

Can you speak like an educated person for once?

[@rayrasmussen4936]

Thanks for this. I'll be reading it to my poetry group which consists of six geezers still searching for the meaning of life. And I'll provide the link to your reading of the poem and comments on Tennyson's life. Ray Rasmussen, Edmonton, Canada

[@AldWitch]

One of my favourites, thank you for your commentary. My Dad made me learn this when I was a child. Took a long time for me to know why.

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thank you, Evan! ❤‍🩹

[@NickSayre]

Y'all, the name Hallam means "At the rocks," the very setting of the poem

[@Craw1011]

A video on Austen and now Tennyson?! We truly are spoiled

[@corlissmedia2.0]

Do you see any comparison in today's rap artists to Tennyson's work?

[@breathinginsilence]

i have barely watched any family guy since like season 17 or somewhere around there, but no matter what, if they made a movie me and my friends that grew up on family guy are going to be there

[@utupp]

Have you seen The Zone of Interest?

[@zoinomiko]

How beautiful .

[@Ellis307]

Could someone please tell me who painted the portrait in the thumbnail of the video?

[@__-qb3xj]

the book "Tennyson" by John Batchelor has this image as the cover. I'm sure that book will reference the artist somewhere

[@Ellis307]

@@__-qb3xj Ah-ha! Thank you! I’ve found the painting. It’s Alfred Tennyson (1858) by G.F. Watts and it’s currently held in the National Gallery of Victoria Australia

[@chrisfrerich]

Is there an audiobook version of your book?

[@srimanarayanan11]

there is!

[@Navarro1055]

Amazing video !!! Big like. Greetings and happy day !!!

[@Diewendel]

Hey, if you're interested in making a video about Dune Part 2, you'll find some interesting source material in "Moebius 1: Upon a Star." I strongly believe that Denis Villeneuve took a lot of inspiration from the comic. You might even find some of the voice lines and the final battle structure echoed in the film. i'm sending this because i'm a fan of your channel and i would love to see you make a video about dune part 2.

[@IlluminaudioOG]

Do a video on Leaf by Niggle, please! ❤

[@briandonohue8132]

Let's have a little sanity here amidst our giddy adoration: granted he was a fairly good poet, but this is the same poet who wrote "woman is the lesser man / and all thy passions matched with mine / are as moonlight unto sunlight / and as water unto wine." Locksley Hall, look it up.

[@distancerunner22]

ulyses rfom him appeared in talos principle 2 some games can be really deep contrary to most people believe

[@ssssssssssssssssss50]

Ben 10’s anchestor?

[@seendidthegreat4814]

He can transform 10 verses into 10 characters

[@stavokg]

Beautiful! How about Haven and Raven. But maybe Heaven works best anyway… Thanks so much.

[@ThoughtWord]

Nerdwriter does it again. I really need to make another poetry video. The closest I've come is talking about E.E. Cummings and Bon Iver as creative kindred spirits. It's still one of my most creatively gratifying projects.

[@brianmiller4207]

💙💙💙

[@gibson1005]

And they were roomates

[@tonightscake4127]

Does the poet of grief let you draw two cards though?

[@the_Fisher_King]

So were they historically speaking, besties ?

[@JuiceTubes]

Sounds like a little more than friends...

[@VigiliusHaufniensis]

​@@JuiceTubesHistorians disagree

[@aymanelkhodary1232]

It's laughable how you people reduced every emotion on the human spectrum to either being homosexual or heterosexual .. You can love a friend you know ​@@JuiceTubes

[@Tax_Collector01]

@@aymanelkhodary1232 Precisely.

[@user-zt9kx8qp1l]

Um yea gay

[@burnthewitch_]

The way you said "friends" and proceeded to describe the acts of lovers! I'm not a historian, so I could definitely be wrong, but they sounded like they were NOT just friends!

[@johnpoole3871]

Well, there is no evidence for that but we can't prove that wasn't the case. Still are we still doing this? Every emotion a man feels for another person must be in the service of fucking? I love many people I am not fucking, but I guess future generations will not be able to prove I wasn't doing so.

[@Random_Commoner]

And they were roommates

[@jamesmarkham7489]

They shared a vast scarf collection. 😂

[@TheBBoyPain]

Nice to see video essays phasing out.

[@njdinostar]

I thought it was about someone who'd drowned.

[@joaopedrom.oliveira8242]

I can’t help to feel like they were actually lovers. Possibly soulmates even with the depth of the grief and emotion being displayed. But obviously it is only my speculation

[@walternate2914]

Why can’t they just be close platonic friends? Why can’t that relationship be celebrated for the immensely beautiful friendship that it was?

[@joaopedrom.oliveira8242]

@@walternate2914 It for sure can!! You are absolutely right! I just had a feeling really, a sensation if you will. But there’s nothing saying that it couldn’t be just platonic friends

[@171QA]

Were they friends or were they "friends"?

[@kilometersdavis2510]

“””friend””” they were definitely piping

[@Picasso_Picante92]

Right?

[@overlookers]

and they were roommates

[@Picasso_Picante92]

@@overlookers Yeah, my cousin also had a "roommate" for like 15 years.

[@windlink4everable]

@@overlookers Oh my god they were roommates

[@adrian_conrad]

I don’t think that’s fair to assume.

[@theebronks]

they were good friends 😏

[@mavenbraun5701]

Stop depressing me. I'm sexy.

[@erodetamilan1155]

Any Tamilans here...

[@IndiaTides]

I tried so hard to feel English poetry and I don't feel shit.

[@Catastrophic_31]

Please do more Emily Dickinson

[@scottaichner8166]

Love this channel but, these poetry episodes are meh... Dive into Hans Zimmer, Anthony Bourdain or How they produce the Amazing Race...

[@pilotjones1019]

And they were roommates...

[@fuki999]

that start was pretensious at best.

[@laurenwilliams3329]

I don’t want to be pretentious but…

[@arualblues_zero]

Would it be pretentious to point out that you misspelled pretentious? 🤔

[@Sam-nl8ie]

I literally just did a poetry exam yesterday where were you @nerdwriter1 😂

[@mike_sauce]

And they were roomates.