Why does Tennyson address a stream?

Addressing a natural object directly—a technique known as apostrophe—allows Tennyson to express his feelings outwardly. The brook can't reply, which intensifies the sense of loneliness in the farewell. This approach also connects his emotions to a specific, tangible location instead of leaving them abstract.

What does 'for ever and for ever' mean in the poem?

It serves as the poem's refrain and its emotional heart. Tennyson emphasizes that the separation is forever — he won't walk alongside this stream again. The repeated lines reflect how grief tends to loop back on itself instead of wrapping up nicely.

When did Tennyson write 'A Farewell' and why?

He wrote it shortly after his family left Somersby in 1837, following his father's death. They had lived there during Tennyson's childhood and early adulthood, so losing the house was a deep personal loss for him. The poem appeared in his 1842 *Poems* collection.

What is the structure and form of the poem?

The poem consists of short stanzas that follow a regular rhyme scheme and include a repeating refrain. The lines are brief and have a musical quality — Tennyson always paid close attention to sound — and the refrain "for ever and for ever" lends the entire poem a song-like, almost ritualistic feel.

Is 'A Farewell' connected to 'In Memoriam'?

They come from the same emotional place—the sorrow of losing Somersby and the world of his childhood. *In Memoriam* is a lengthy, intricate exploration of loss, while "A Farewell" offers a more concise and straightforward expression of that same sentiment. Both poems illustrate Tennyson's reflections on absence and the lasting impact of change.

What literary devices does Tennyson use in 'A Farewell'?

The key elements include apostrophe (addressing the brook directly), personification (the brook "delivers tribute"), alliteration ("flow, softly flow"), and refrain. These techniques combine to give the short poem significant emotional depth without feeling overwhelming.

What is the mood of 'A Farewell'?

Quietly sad, yet not bitter or angry, Tennyson accepts the departure—he doesn't fight against it. In fact, there's a sense of peace in how he wishes the brook well on its own journey. The mood leans more towards wistful resignation than to raw grief.

The Annotated Edition

A Farewell by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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Tennyson's "A Farewell" is a short, heartfelt goodbye to a stream that flows through the grounds of his childhood home.

Poet: Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Themes: home, memory, nature

The PoemFull text

A Farewell

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The Beggar Maid The Vision of Sin “Come not, when I am dead” The Eagle “Move eastward, happy earth, and leave” “Break, break, break” The Poet’s Song Appendix—Suppressed Poems Elegiacs The “How” and the “Why” Supposed Confessions The Burial of Love To —— (“Sainted Juliet! dearest name !”) Song (“I’ the glooming light”) Song (“The lintwhite and the throstlecock”) Song (“Every day hath its night”) Nothing will Die All Things will Die Hero to Leander The Mystic The Grasshopper Love, Pride and Forgetfulness Chorus (“The varied earth, the moving heaven”) Lost Hope The Tears of Heaven Love and Sorrow To a Lady Sleeping Sonnet (“Could I outwear my present state of woe”) Sonnet (“Though Night hath climbed her peak of highest noon”) Sonnet (“Shall the hag Evil die with child of Good”) Sonnet (“The pallid thunderstricken sigh for gain”) Love The Kraken English War Song National Song Dualisms We are Free οἱ ῥέοντες. “Mine be the strength of spirit, full and free” To — (“All good things have not kept aloof”) Buonaparte Sonnet (“Oh, Beauty, passing beauty! sweetest Sweet!”) The Hesperides Song (“The golden apple, the golden apple, the hallowed fruit”) Rosalind Song (“Who can say”) Kate Sonnet (“Blow ye the trumpet, gather from afar”) Poland To — (“As when with downcast eyes we muse and brood”) O Darling Room To Christopher North The Skipping Rope Timbuctoo Bibliography of the _Poems_ of 1842

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Tennyson's "A Farewell" is a short, heartfelt goodbye to a stream that flows through the grounds of his childhood home. He urges the brook to continue its journey—nourishing the flowers and mirroring the sky—while he steps out into the broader, tougher world. The poem captures the bittersweet emotion of departing from a cherished place, aware that nature will persist in your absence.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

Flow down, cold rivulet, to the sea,
Editor's note
Tennyson begins by speaking directly to the brook, encouraging it to carry on its journey to the sea. The word "cold" adds a sharp, tangible quality to the stream, avoiding any romantic notions, while the command "flow down" highlights the difference between the brook's steady course and the speaker's uncertain departure.
Thy tribute wave deliver:
Editor's note
The brook is seen as giving a sort of tax or offering — its water — to the larger sea. This personification subtly transforms the stream into something that has duty and purpose, reflecting the speaker's own feelings of obligation as he gets ready to depart.
No more by thee my steps shall be,
Editor's note
Here, the farewell is clear. The speaker openly admits that he will no longer walk alongside this stream. The straightforwardness of the line hits harder because of its simplicity—there's no dramatic flair, just a calm acknowledgment of absence.
For ever and for ever.
Editor's note
This refrain, echoed throughout the poem, serves as its emotional anchor. The phrase "For ever and for ever" has a childlike quality in its repetition, which is intentional — it reflects how grief and longing can feel so absolute and unending, particularly when departing from a place connected to one's youth.
Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea,
Editor's note
Tennyson depicts the brook winding through the familiar landscape of lawns and meadows he's leaving behind. The alliteration in "flow, softly flow" slows the line down, creating a soothing, lullaby-like quality that matches the tenderness of the farewell.
A rivulet then a river:
Editor's note
The brook is envisioned as it grows, starting as a small rivulet and becoming a full river. This hints at the passage of time and transformation: the natural world continues to evolve and expand even as the speaker distances themselves from it.
Nowhere by thee my steps shall be,
Editor's note
A variation on the earlier line, replacing "No more" with "Nowhere" — the absence now feels both spatial and temporal. The speaker will not be beside this water anywhere, ever again. This change deepens the sense of permanent separation.
For ever and for ever.
Editor's note
The refrain comes back to close the poem. When repeated at the end, it feels less like a sorrowful goodbye and more like a moment of acceptance — the speaker has expressed everything that needed to be said, and the brook will continue to flow no matter what. This sense of finality is soft rather than harsh.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone carries a quiet sorrow without slipping into despair. Tennyson holds back his emotions—no dramatic outbursts or grand gestures—allowing the sadness to resonate more authentically. Amidst this, there's a sense of tranquility: the brook will endure, life will go on, and the speaker appears to draw some solace from this, even while he mourns the departure.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The brook / rivulet: The stream represents home, childhood, and the ongoing rhythm of nature. It flows on regardless of the speaker's presence, symbolizing what remains after we move on—offering both comfort and a touch of sadness.
The sea: The sea is where the brook flows, symbolizing the broader world awaiting the speaker. Unlike the familiar, personal stream, the sea feels vast and impersonal—representing adulthood, the unknown, or even death.
"For ever and for ever": The repeated refrain symbolizes how memory and longing function — they loop back without reaching a resolution. The phrase captures the feeling it conveys: something that continually comes back.
Lawn and lea: These pastoral details—the manicured lawn and the open meadow—reflect the safe, structured environment of home and childhood that the speaker is leaving behind for a more uncertain future.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Tennyson wrote "A Farewell" as he left Somersby, the Lincolnshire rectory of his childhood, after his family had to move in 1837 due to his father's death. Somersby and its landscape, including a little brook, were central to his early life and poetry. Losing that home was a deep wound for him, directly influencing *In Memoriam A.H.H.* and several shorter poems. By the time he published the poem in his influential 1842 *Poems* collection, he had been living away from Somersby for years, but the pain of that departure was still fresh. This 1842 collection solidified his reputation, and "A Farewell" stands out as one of the more personal and candid pieces—though it's a short lyric among longer, more ambitious works, it’s no less heartfelt for its brevity.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It marks a farewell to the brook close to Tennyson's childhood home in Somersby. He urges the stream to continue flowing even after he's gone, and the recurring phrase "for ever and for ever" conveys the deep sense of permanence and pain associated with that departure.

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A Farewell by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

A Farewell

What this poem is about

Recurring themes

Stanza by stanza, with notes

How this poem feels

Symbols & metaphors

Historical context

Questions readers ask

Test your knowledge

Poems in the same key

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