"The Splendor Falls" is a short poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson written in 1848 and included in his 1850 work, The Princess. Tennyson's verse reflects on the fleeting nature of splendor, suggesting that beauty, like a waterfall, will eventually run dry and disappear. In this way, this poem serves not only as a meditation on the temporary nature of life but also as a discussion of splendor. In so doing, the poem imparts to the reader a sense of awe, melancholy, and contemplation.

This poem was written during the Victorian era, a period of significant cultural, social, and industrial change in Britain. Much like the earlier Romantic Period, this era was characterized by a fascination with the past and a strong sense of nostalgia.

In the first of three stanzas, the poem vividly introduces a scene where splendor, much like sunlight, is cast upon castle walls and ancient snowy peaks. These are not just any mountains; they are "old in story," meaning that they are the setting of many ancient legends and steeped in history.

These opening lines describe how the long light reflects across lakes and a waterfall. The stanza ends with the call of a bugle, creating a sense of grandeur and resonance as its echoes fade away into the distance. To preserve the beauty of this scene, the speaker directly commands the bugle to keep playing and instructs the audience to listen closely to the sound:

Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.

In the second stanza, the poem goes on to paint a vivid picture of an enchanting scene. The speaker continues to encourage the listener to pay close attention to the sound of the bugle call as it echoes across the mountainsides and "purple glens." Again, the speaker urges the bugles, with their repeated mystical sound, to play across the landscape. The sound seems to be coming from Elfland itself, signifying that this enchanted world can interact with our own.

The echoes, as they gradually fade into the distance, convey a feeling of both enchantment and wistfulness. It is as if the sounds are fading into the very fabric of both this world and Elfland, leaving the audience with a sense of yearning to venture into this captivating, far-off landscape of fantasy and mystery.

In the third and final stanza, the poem takes a turn towards a more melancholic and contemplative tone.

O love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river;
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow forever and forever.

Here, the speaker addresses the theme of mortality and the fleeting nature of life and beauty. The reference to "they die in yon rich sky" suggests the temporary existence of beautiful things that will, like the echoes of the bugle, eventually fade away.

Like all the other stanzas, this one ends with the dying echoes of the bugle. These echoes, which symbolize the lasting impact of these beautiful moments reverberate from soul to soul. This suggests that the memories of these moments live on in the hearts and minds of those who have experienced them.

The repetition of "dying, dying, dying" in the closing lines emphasizes the inevitability of the fading echoes as well as the passing of time, creating a poignant and reflective mood. It also may address the temporary nature of life itself to highlight the fleeting quality of human experiences and emotions.