Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,
Tears from the depth of some divine despair
Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,
In looking on the happy autumn-fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.

These lines from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Princess" eloquently capture the inexplicable sorrow tied to memories and the passage of time. The speaker reflects on tears that emerge from a "divine despair," suggesting a profound yet ambiguous grief. This grief surfaces as they gaze upon "happy autumn-fields," a symbol of beauty and the inevitable change of seasons. These tears, described as "idle," highlight the futility of longing for "days that are no more." The juxtaposition of present beauty and past happiness underlines the human condition of yearning for lost moments. Tennyson's verse touches on universal emotions, as the past is often tinged with nostalgia and regret. This acknowledgment of transience invites readers to ponder the nature of memory and the fleeting nature of life itself.