Editor's Choice
How does Tennyson seek comfort from Hallam's spirit in Section L (50) of In Memoriam A. H. H.?
L.
Be near me when my light is low,
When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick
And tingle; and the heart is sick,
And all the wheels of Being slow.
Be near me when the sensuous frame
Is rack’d with pangs that conquer trust;
And Time, a maniac scattering dust,
And Life, a Fury slinging flame.
Be near me when my faith is dry,
And men the flies of latter spring,
That lay their eggs, and sting and sing
And weave their petty cells and die.
Be near me when I fade away,
To point the term of human strife,
And on the low dark verge of life
The twilight of eternal day.
Quick answer:
In Section L of "In Memoriam A. H. H.," Tennyson seeks comfort from Hallam's spirit by using a prayer-like structure, repeatedly pleading "Be near me" to Hallam. He imagines Hallam's comforting presence during his own life's end, asking for guidance and companionship as he transitions into the "twilight of eternal day." This approach combines poetic convention and personal longing, expressing Tennyson's desire for spiritual support from his deceased friend.
This is happily a very straightforward bit of In Memoriam. Tennyson clearly shows how he is seeking comfort from Hallam. There are two things that may be said about Tennyson's technique.
The first relates to poetic structure. Section L is styled as a now old-fashioned sort of prayer in the "Be near me" pattern. We've all heard the Christmas Carol that starts "Be near me ...." Tennyson is using this same pattern here. This means that his first way of seeking comfort is to pray to the spirit of his friend. Since memorial poems have poetic conventions (styles and techniques) all their own, this didn't set so poorly with his Christian readers as one might expect because they were educated and familiar with poetic conventions.
The second relates to content. Tennyson seeks comfort from Hallam by projecting his imagination forward to the day when his own life comes to an end:
when my light is low,
When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick
And tingle; and the heart is sick,
He is seeking Hallam's presence when his own "term of human strife" has reached an end. He is seeking Hallam's presence and escort as he himself crosses the barrier from life into "The twilight of eternal day." In summary, Tennyson is seeking from Hallam's spirit by praying to him and by asking for his presence and escort at the instance of his own future death.
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