A Farewell - Analysis

Introduction and Overall Impression

The poem registers a quiet, resigned farewell delivered in simple, lyrical language. Its tone is elegiac and steady, mingling calm acceptance with the persistent ache of departure; this mood remains largely consistent, though moments of nature's continuity introduce a subtle consolation. Repetition of the refrain "For ever and for ever" deepens the sense of irrevocability.

Historical and Authorial Context

Alfred Lord Tennyson, a central Victorian poet, often explored loss, memory, and the relationship between human feeling and the natural world. While the precise occasion for this short lyric is not specified here, its preoccupations align with Victorian concerns about permanence versus change and the consolations of nature amid personal sorrow.

Main Theme: Loss and Finality

The dominant theme is departure and the finality of separation. Lines such as "No more by thee my steps shall be" and the repeated refrain enforce an irrevocable break. The poem frames this loss not as dramatic rupture but as a quiet, absolute decision rendered over time.

Main Theme: Nature as Witness and Continuity

Nature functions both as witness to the speaker's absence and as evidence of life continuing. The rivulet, alder, aspen, and bee are named specifically—"But here will sigh thine alder tree", "And here by thee will hum the bee"—suggesting that while the speaker leaves, the natural world persists and records what has passed.

Imagery and Symbolism

The rivulet and its movement toward the sea symbolize ongoing time and the flow of life beyond the speaker's presence. The alder tree and aspen (noted for their sounds: sigh and shiver) emphasize sensory memory; the bee implies continued small-scale activity and industry. The closing image of "A thousand suns... A thousand moons" expands the scale to cosmic repetition, underlining permanence of the world despite personal absence.

Ambiguity and Open Question

The poem leaves uncertain whether the farewell is voluntary departure, exile, or death. The steady, almost scripted refrain raises the question: does the speaker find peace in stating the finality, or is this repetition a form of coping with unbearable loss? That ambiguity keeps the lyric focused on feeling rather than circumstance.

Conclusion

In compact, musical lines, Tennyson juxtaposes immutable natural cycles with the speaker's irrevocable leaving. Repetition and vivid natural images create a tender, composed elegy that acknowledges pain while placing it within a larger, enduring world.