The Rivulet-Lord Tennyson

THE RIVULET


Flow down, cold rivulet, to the sea,

Thy tribute wave deliver:

No more by thee my steps shall be,

Forever and forever.


Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea,

A rivulet and then a river:

No where by thee my steps shall be,

Forever and forever.


But here will sigh thine alder tree,

And here thine aspen shiver;

And here by thee will hum the bee,

Forever and forever.


A thousand suns will stream on thee,

A thousand moons will quiver;

But not by thee my steps shall be,

Forever and forever.


LORD TENNYSON



Summary: 'The Rivulet' by Lord Tennyson is a reflective poem that speaks to the ephemeral nature of human existence and the enduring quality of the natural world. The speaker addresses a cold rivulet, urging it to continue its journey to the sea and deliver its tribute wave. They declare that they will no longer walk by the rivulet's side, indicating a sense of finality and separation, emphasizing that their parting is eternal.

The poem's verses reveal a shift in perspective as the speaker encourages the rivulet to flow gently through different landscapes - past lawns and meadows, from a rivulet to a river. The speaker again insists that they will not walk alongside the rivulet in any of these settings, and this separation is to be everlasting.

Despite this parting, the poem underscores the enduring presence of the natural world. The alder tree will continue to sigh, the aspen will shiver, and the bees will hum by the rivulet, all persisting 'forever and forever.' The poem concludes by acknowledging the constancy of celestial bodies, with a thousand suns and moons illuminating the rivulet, yet reiterating that the speaker will not walk by its side.

In essence, 'The Rivulet' explores the theme of transience and the stark contrast between the temporary nature of human existence and the eternal, unchanging character of the natural world.

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