Tristram (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)

At a glance:

Places Discussed

*Brittany. Historical region of France that projects into the sea between the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel. In the opening and closing moments of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s narrative, Isolt of the white hands, daughter of King Howel, gazes over a blank, bleak ocean view to the north. Waiting for Tristram in the beginning, she sees only white birds flying. At the poem’s end, after Tristram’s death, she again looks north to white waves, a “phantom” sky, sea foam, white birds, and white sunlight, a world bleached of all warmth and color....

[The entire page is 727 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass