On Monday we talked about the role of sorrow and her “lying lip” which we find in section III of In Memoriam. I find it interesting that we find Tennyson again addressing sorrow in section LIX. However, the roles of sorrow are very different in the two sections. In section III, Tennyson portrays sorrow as being deceptive, having a “lying lip.” He even contemplates whether he should embrace sorrow as a natural feeling or squash it out of his mind. By section LIX, it seems as though he has made up his mind about sorrow. Here, he addresses sorrow, saying “O Sorrow, wilt thou live with me/No casual mistress, but a wife,/My bosom-friend and half of life.” This is a big shift in Tennyson’s attitude towards sorrow, and in section LIX he suggests that he can feel sorrow and also keep his passion and love for his lost friend. Despite the fact that Tennyson no longer portrays sorrow as being deceptive, sorrow seems to play a slightly different role. sorrow allows him to keep the connection which he had to someone who has died.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The Return of Sorrow
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This shift that you have noticed, in regards to sorrow, seems to follow a man's typical recovery from a death of a loved one. He is angry, frustrated at the idea of his friend's passing, so acceptance of the sorrow is not quickly desired and, thus, is contemplated thoroughly. As for the latter part, the sorrow has seemed to become just second-nature to the mourning friend. Instead of debating whether or not he should embrace the sorry or not, he understands how to use it and takes advantage of it as he progresses through his mourning and recovery.
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