'Mariana In The South' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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With one black shadow at its feet,
The house thro' all the level shines,
Close-latticed to the brooding heat,
And silent in its dusty vines:
A faint-blue ridge upon the right,
An empty river-bed before,
And shallows on a distant shore,
In glaring sand and inlets bright.
But "Aye Mary," made she moan,
And "Aye Mary," night and morn,
And "Ah," she sang, "to be all alone,
To live forgotten, and love forlorn."
She, as her carol sadder grew,
From brow and bosom slowly down
Thro' rosy taper fingers drew
Her streaming curls of deepest brown
To left and right, and made appear,
Still-lighted in a secret shrine,
Her melancholy eyes divine,
The home of woe without a tear.
And "Aye Mary," was her moan,
"Madonna, sad is night and morn;"
And "Ah," she sang, "to be all alone,
To live forgotten, and love forlorn."
Till all the crimson changed, and past
Into deep orange o'er the sea,
Low on her knees herself she cast,
Before Our Lady murmur'd she:
Complaining, "Mother, give me grace
To help me of my weary load."
And on the liquid mirror glow'd
The clear perfection of her face.
"Is this the form," she made her moan,
"That won his praises night and morn?"
And "Ah," she said, "but I wake alone,
I sleep forgotten, I wake forlorn."
Nor bird would sing, nor lamb would bleat,
Nor any cloud would cross the vault,
But day increased from heat to heat,
On stony drought and steaming salt;
Till now at noon she slept again,
And seem'd knee-deep in mountain grass,
And heard her native breezes pass,
And runlets babbling down the glen.
She breathed in sleep a lower moan,
And murmuring, as at night and morn
She thought, "My spirit is here alone,
Walks forgotten, and is forlorn."
Dreaming, she knew it was a dream:
She felt he was and was not there.
She woke: the babble of the stream
Fell, and, without, the steady glare
Shrank one sick willow sere and small.
The river-bed was dusty-white;
And all the furnace of the light
Struck up against the blinding wall.
She whisper'd, with a stifled moan
More inward than at night or morn,
"Sweet Mother, let me not here alone
Live forgotten and die forlorn."
And, rising, from her bosom drew
Old letters, breathing of her worth,
For "Love", they said, "must needs be true,
To what is loveliest upon earth."
An image seem'd to pass the door,
To look at her with slight, and say,
"But now thy beauty flows away,
So be alone for evermore."
"O cruel heart," she changed her tone,
"And cruel love, whose end is scorn,
Is this the end to be left alone,
To live forgotten, and die forlorn?"
But sometimes in the falling day
An image seem'd to pass the door,
To look into her eyes and say,
"But thou shalt be alone no more."
And flaming downward over all
From heat to heat the day decreased,
And slowly rounded to the east
The one black shadow from the wall.
"The day to night," she made her moan,
"The day to night, the night to morn,
And day and night I am left alone
To live forgotten, and love forlorn."
At eve a dry cicala sung,
There came a sound as of the sea;
Backward the lattice-blind she flung,
And lean'd upon the balcony.
There all in spaces rosy-bright
Large Hesper glitter'd on her tears,
And deepening thro' the silent spheres
Heaven over Heaven rose the night.
And weeping then she made her moan,
"The night comes on that knows not morn,
When I shall cease to be all alone,
To live forgotten, and love forlorn."
Editor 1 Interpretation
Mariana in the South: A Hauntingly Beautiful Poem
Have you ever read a poem that made you feel like you were right there, experiencing the emotions of the protagonist? Have you ever been moved by the power of words to convey a sense of isolation, longing, and despair? If not, then you haven't read "Mariana in the South" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
This hauntingly beautiful poem is a masterful depiction of a woman's plight as she waits in vain for her lover to return. Set in a lush tropical paradise, it paints a vivid picture of a world in which nature is both beautiful and cruel, and human emotions are exposed and raw.
Background and Themes
Before we dive into the poem itself, let's take a moment to consider its historical and literary context. "Mariana in the South" was first published in 1832 as part of Tennyson's collection "Poems, Chiefly Lyrical." At the time of its composition, Tennyson was still establishing himself as a poet, and this collection helped to cement his reputation as a rising star in the literary world.
The poem is based on a character from Shakespeare's play "Measure for Measure," in which Mariana is portrayed as a jilted lover who has been abandoned by her fiancé. In Tennyson's version, Mariana is transplanted to a tropical setting, where she is surrounded by lush vegetation and exotic animals.
The themes of the poem are universal and timeless: love, loss, and the human condition. Mariana's plight reflects the universal experience of unrequited love, and her isolation and despair are feelings that we can all relate to at some point in our lives. The poem also explores the role of nature in our lives, and how it can be both a source of beauty and a source of pain.
Structure and Language
Let's now turn our attention to the structure and language of the poem. "Mariana in the South" is a ballad, with a regular meter and rhyme scheme that give it a musical quality. The poem is divided into six stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, and the meter is iambic tetrameter, which means that each line contains eight syllables with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
The language of the poem is rich and evocative, with a strong emphasis on visual imagery. Throughout the poem, we are presented with vivid descriptions of the natural world, such as the "passion-flower" and the "crimson-petaled" rose. These images serve to heighten the sense of beauty and sensuality in the poem, while also emphasizing the cruel and indifferent nature of the world around us.
The language is also notable for its use of repetition and variation. The refrain "She only said, 'My life is dreary, He cometh not,' she said" is repeated three times throughout the poem, each time with a slight variation that adds to the sense of despair and hopelessness.
Analysis and Interpretation
Now that we have examined the structure and language of the poem, let's turn our attention to its deeper meaning and interpretation. "Mariana in the South" is a poem that can be read on many levels, each offering a different insight into the human condition.
On the surface, the poem is a simple tale of a woman waiting for her lover to return. Mariana is consumed by her longing for her absent lover, and her world is defined by his absence. She is trapped in a cycle of waiting and hoping, a victim of her own desire.
However, at a deeper level, the poem is a meditation on the nature of love and desire. Mariana's longing for her lover is all-consuming, but it is also irrational and destructive. Her world is defined by her own desires, and she is unable to see beyond them. In this sense, the poem can be read as a cautionary tale about the dangers of becoming too wrapped up in our own desires.
The poem also explores the theme of isolation and despair. Mariana is trapped in her own world, cut off from the rest of society. Her only companions are the birds and animals that inhabit her garden, and even they seem to mock her with their indifference. Her isolation is a reflection of the human condition, in which we are all ultimately alone in the face of the vast and indifferent universe.
Finally, the poem explores the role of nature in our lives. Throughout the poem, we are presented with a lush and beautiful landscape, but it is also a landscape that is cruel and indifferent. The natural world is both a source of beauty and a source of pain, and it is this duality that gives the poem its power and resonance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Mariana in the South" is a hauntingly beautiful poem that explores the universal themes of love, loss, and the human condition. Through its rich language and vivid imagery, the poem presents us with a world in which beauty and cruelty are intertwined, and in which the human spirit is tested by the forces of nature and desire.
As a reader, it is impossible not to be moved by Mariana's plight, and to feel a sense of empathy and understanding for the universal human experience of longing and despair. In this sense, "Mariana in the South" is a masterpiece of poetry, and a testament to the power of words to convey the deepest emotions of the human soul.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Mariana in the South: A Masterpiece of Despair and Longing
Alfred, Lord Tennyson is one of the most celebrated poets of the Victorian era, and his works have left an indelible mark on the literary world. Among his many masterpieces, "Mariana in the South" stands out as a haunting and evocative poem that captures the essence of despair and longing.
First published in 1830, "Mariana in the South" is a dramatic monologue that tells the story of a woman named Mariana who is waiting for her lover to return. The poem is set in a desolate landscape, where Mariana is living alone in a decaying mansion by the sea. As she waits for her lover, she is consumed by a sense of isolation and despair, and her thoughts turn to death and oblivion.
The poem begins with a vivid description of the setting, which sets the tone for the rest of the poem. Tennyson's use of imagery is particularly striking, as he paints a picture of a desolate and abandoned landscape that is both beautiful and haunting. The opening lines of the poem read:
"With blackest moss the flower-plots Were thickly crusted, one and all: The rusted nails fell from the knots That held the pear to the gable-wall. The broken sheds look'd sad and strange: Unlifted was the clinking latch; Weeded and worn the ancient thatch Upon the lonely moated grange."
These lines create a sense of decay and neglect, which is mirrored in Mariana's own state of mind. The mansion she inhabits is a symbol of her own isolation and despair, and the decay of the physical world around her reflects the decay of her own spirit.
As the poem progresses, Mariana's thoughts turn to her absent lover, who has left her waiting for years. She longs for his return, but as time passes, she begins to lose hope. Tennyson's use of repetition is particularly effective in conveying Mariana's sense of despair, as she repeats the phrase "He cometh not" throughout the poem. This repetition creates a sense of monotony and hopelessness, as Mariana is trapped in a cycle of waiting and disappointment.
Despite her despair, Mariana is still able to find beauty in the world around her. Tennyson's use of imagery is particularly effective in conveying this sense of beauty, as he describes the sea and the sky in vivid detail. The following lines are particularly striking:
"The sea-blue bird of March Sits on the lowly spray, The loosened rivulet in March Runs tinkling from the brae; She sees the heron by the beck, The creeping cat, the dog by the hearth, She sees the stalks of the parsley speck'd With swallow's nest and harlot's hair."
These lines create a sense of natural beauty that is in stark contrast to the decay and neglect of Mariana's surroundings. Despite her isolation and despair, Mariana is still able to find solace in the natural world, and this creates a sense of hope that is at odds with the rest of the poem.
As the poem draws to a close, Mariana's thoughts turn to death and oblivion. She longs for release from her suffering, and she imagines herself sinking into the sea and being consumed by the waves. Tennyson's use of imagery is particularly effective in conveying this sense of finality, as he describes Mariana's descent into the sea in vivid detail. The following lines are particularly striking:
"She only said, 'My life is dreary, He cometh not,' she said; She said, 'I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!'"
These lines create a sense of finality and despair that is at odds with the natural beauty that Mariana has found earlier in the poem. Despite her ability to find solace in the natural world, Mariana is ultimately consumed by her own despair, and she longs for release from her suffering.
In conclusion, "Mariana in the South" is a masterpiece of Victorian poetry that captures the essence of despair and longing. Tennyson's use of imagery and repetition is particularly effective in conveying Mariana's sense of isolation and despair, and his descriptions of the natural world create a sense of beauty that is in stark contrast to the decay and neglect of Mariana's surroundings. Ultimately, the poem is a powerful meditation on the human condition, and it remains a timeless masterpiece of English literature.
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