Locksley Hall Poem Explanations

Locksley Hall Poem Explanations

 For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be.

These lines have been taken from the poem "Locksley Hall" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Here the speaker relates his youthful vision about the future of the world. In fact, the speaker's wish reflects the attitude of the poet himself towards contemporary life and society.

The speaker of the poem spent a considerable portion of his young life at Locksley Hall under the care of his uncle. The rich natural landscape of the place prompted him to be highly imaginative. And in his exquisite imagination he used to visualise innumerable wonders which would come for mankind in future. He imagined that in the future the nations of the world would be busy with trade and commerce. Many merchant vessels would rush from one corner of the earth to another. However, such human progress would also be devastated by bloody war in which each side would use fighter planes. Again, finally mankind would understand that peace is far more valuable than war. This realisation would lead people to carve out the roadmap for peace. They would establish international bodies to minimise war and maximise peace. Aeroplane, aerial warfare, the League of Nations or the United Nations-nothing of these things had been made during Tennyson's time. Yet the poet speaks of them with a prophetic insight. Thus, these lines speaks of Tennyson's optimistic belief that one day mankind will reach the apex of progress and lead a happy and peaceful life.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and I linger on the

shore, And the individual withers, and the world is more and more.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and he bears a laden breast,

Full of sad experience, moving towards the stillness of his rest.

These lines have been extracted from Tennyson's famous poem "Locksley Hall". Here the poet expresses his attitude towards science and human progress.

The speaker in the poem is a jilted lover. Once he had a love affair with his cousin Amy but later Amy abandoned him to marry a rich man. At present the speaker is recalling how he tried to cope with this emotional shock. The speaker wanted to forget the girl by floating in the speedy current of progress which his society was making. But here again problem existed. Science and industrialism divided people into two classes the rich and the poor. The life of the poor was miserable. Although mankind has acquired considerable advance in scientific matters, he cannot channel the success evenly among all people. While knowledge is the collection of facts, wisdom implies proper use of these facts. According to the speaker, mankind has to wait to gain wisdom regarding the use of scientific knowledge. Thus these lines are expressive of Tennyson's deep understanding about the sociology of science, its impact on society and individuals.

Love took the glass of time, and turn'd it in his glowing hands; 

Every moment, lightly shaken, ran itself in golden sands.

These lines have been quoted from the famous poem "Locksley Hall" written by the Victorian poet Lord Alfred Tennyson. Here the poet pictures an image of love, with the glass of Time.

The lines describe the rapture of first love through the use of exquisite imagery and language. The lover, the speaker of the poem, loved his cousin passionately, truly and devotedly. In the spring of his life, he confessed to Amy that he loved her. Amy also reciprocated his love by saying that she had loved him for a long time and that she had been hiding her feelings for him. These words made the world more beautiful and radiant for him because that time they were all in all to each other. It was a golden time of life with them. It was a time of rare happiness for them, when every moment was precious and rare like gold. Love held the glass of Time in his hands meaning that the time was passed in love-making, and every moment of their life seemed golden to them.

In these lines the idea of the glory of love is conveyed through figurative language.

Where is comfort? in division of the records of the mind?

Can I part her from herself, and love her, as I knew her, kind?

These lines have been taken from "Locksley Hall" written by the Victorian poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson. The lines express the speaker's deep love for his cousin, Amy.

The speaker of the poem loved his cousin, Amy, who also reciprocated his love. But her parents did not permit her to marry her lover. She surrendered to the threats of her father and to the rebukes of her mother and married a man of high social status but gross and unrefined fool chosen for her by her parents. He realizes that his lack of wealth and social status are the causes of his failure in love. So, he denounces the social custom that prevents from uniting two innocent hearts. The lover thinks for a moment to root out her love from his heart. But it will certainly not bring him any comfort and so he will not do so. He will continue to cherish the memory of his love. He will not find any comfort in forgetting his love for her. Besides, it is not possible for him to separate the image of Amy from herself who is endowed with sweet and lovable nature.