THE BROOK (POEM)

 Alfred Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson is one of the most well-loved Victorian poets. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his first pieces, Timbuctoo. Tennyson's finest and best-loved poems include Mariana, The Lady of Shalott, The Palace of Art, The Lotos Eaters, Ulysses, Locksley Hall, The Two Voices, Sir Galahad, and Break, Break, Break. It helped to establish his reputation as one of the greatest poets of his time.

THE BROOK

The poem is a ballad in which the speaker—the brook, or stream, itself—undertakes a long and winding journey across the countryside to join up with a large river. The speaker is a body of water, a brook, which narrates its own life as if recounting very human experiences. 

The brook describes itself as it "chatters" while flowing. The word "chatter" personifies the brook, suggesting the lively and continuous sound of the flowing water. The brook's ultimate destination is to join the "brimming river." The repetition of "men may come and men may go, But I go on forever" emphasizes the transient nature of human life compared to the perpetual flow of the brook. This line becomes a refrain, reminding the reader of the continuity of nature.

The brook winds about, or zigzags in and out of many places. It sometimes finds a flower blossom sailing along its surface. It also finds fish such as trout and graylings in its waters. The mention of a "lusty trout" and a "grayling" (a type of freshwater fish) illustrates the life that the brook sustains, showcasing the richness of the natural world.

The brook moves quietly ("steal") through areas with well-kept lawns and grassy patches. The brook glides past bushes and trees, particularly hazel, which provide cover along its banks. The brook gently carries or sways the forget-me-not flowers, which are often associated with love and remembrance. The flowers are symbolic of love, growing for those who are in love, suggesting a romantic connection between nature and human emotions.

 The brook's movement is varied-sometimes quiet but quick (slip), sometimes smooth (Slide), occasionally moving in a dark or murky ("gloom") or disturbed and quick ("glance") manner. Swallows, birds that skim the water's surface, are part of the lively scene around the brook. The brook causes the sunlight ("sunbeam") to break into a net-like pattern, creating a playful and shimmering effect. This effect is particularly visible where the brook is shallow and sandy, emphasizing the interaction between light and water.

The brook continues its journey at night, making a soft, continuous sound ("murmur") as it flows under the moon and stars. The brook passes through wild, untamed areas full of brambles (thorny bushes), indicating its journey through different natural environments. The brook slows down near rocky banks ("shingly bars"), suggesting a pause or rest in its flow. The brook moves joyfully around watercress plants, enjoying the slower parts of its journey.

The brook resumes its journey, curving and flowing toward its destination. The brook ultimately merges with the larger river, completing its journey. The brook reminds listeners that although individual humans are born and die, the brook is eternal.

The Brook" is more optimistic in tone. It suggests that even though individuals may come and go, the natural world will continue to exist. It has full of life. Everything in the natural world leave in harmony. 

Literary Devices

Form: "The Brook" is a form of poem called a ballad. Like traditional ballads, the poem is comprised of quatrains, stanzas of four lines, and features a refrain, which is a repeated set of lines in various parts of the poem. 

Rhyme scheme: It follows an ABAB pattern.

1. Personification: 

"I chatter, chatter, as I flow": The brook is given the ability to "chatter," which is something humans do, making it feel lively and animated.

"I murmur under moon and stars": The brook "murmurs," giving it the quality of speaking softly, similar to how a person might.

2. Imagery

"With here a blossom sailing, / And here and there a lusty trout": Visual imagery is created with the image of a flower floating on the brook and fish swimming in the water.

"I make the netted sunbeam dance / Against my sandy shallows": This line evokes a visual image of sunlight filtering through the water, creating a sparkling, dancing effect on the sandy bottom.

"I murmur under moon and stars / In brambly wildernesses": The imagery here paints a serene and wild night-time scene, with the brook flowing under the light of the moon and stars through bushy regions.

3.  Metaphor

The brook itself as a metaphor for life: The brook's continuous flow is a metaphor for life's journey, which is constant and unending, in contrast to the temporary nature of human life.

4. Refrain

A refrain is a repeated line or group of lines in a poem.

"For men may come and men may go, / But I go on for ever.": This refrain is repeated several times throughout the poem, emphasizing the theme of the eternal flow of nature versus the transience of human life.

5. Alliteration

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance", "skimming swallows". "I murmur under moon "

6. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sounds they describe.

"Chatter": The word "chatter" mimics the sound of the brook as it flows over rocks and through its course.

7. Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines.

"I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance": The repetition of "I" at the beginning of each phrase emphasizes the brook's various movements and actions, giving a rhythmic quality to the description

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