Tears, Idle Tears (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
- First Published: 1847
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Memory, Voyages, Love or romance, Friendship, Schools or school life, Emotions, Feminism, Women, Castles, Life and death, Time, Joy or sorrow, Princes or princesses
The Poem
Though often printed as a separate poem, “Tears, Idle Tears” is actually part of The Princess (1847), a long poem in which Alfred, Lord Tennyson explores questions of feminism and the proper roles of the sexes. In fact, the lyric is not titled at all in the original publication; rather, the first words of the opening line have come to serve as an identifying tag for the poem.
While one need not be familiar with The Princess to appreciate “Tears, Idle Tears,” some understanding of the dramatic situation in which the lyric is presented may...
[The entire page is 1477 words long]
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