In Memoriam Tennyson

In Memoriam: VII 'Dark house, by which once more I stand': poem

Let's first consider the poem:

In Memoriam line by line explanation

Below is a breakdown of Tennyson's poem.

Stanza one

The poem opens with the image of Tennyson's narrator standing by a dark house on a similarly dark street. This is clearly not the first time he has done this. In previous times, the narrator stood by the door to this house with his heart beating, eagerly awaiting the offered hand of one who lived inside. The two had a close and intimate relationship.

Stanza two

However, the two can no longer join hands as this person is now gone, likely passed away. The narrator is so impacted by this loss that he finds himself unable to sleep. He instead creeps to the door of this lost person's house in the early mornings, despite the fact they are not there anymore.

Stanza three

In the final stanza, the narrator states the issue plainly: 'He is not here'. This person was of deep importance to the narrator; he is no longer here. The early morning begins to fade, and he can hear the sounds of life around him. There is light rain, and the day is finally breaking. Despite the loss Tennyson's narrator has experienced, life is still moving on around him as normal.

In Memoriam: summary

Now let's summarise the meaning of Tennyson's poem. 'Dark house, by which once more I stand' comes from a much larger poem, entitled In Memoriam. The poem is dedicated to the English poet and close friend of Tennyson's, Arthur Henry Hallam. Hallam and Tennyson met at Cambridge University and quickly became close friends, having very similar interests. Hallam even got engaged to Tennyson's sister. However, Hallam died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage at the young age of twenty-two. This loss devastated Tennyson. 'Dark house, by which once more I stand' is the seventh canto in In Memoriam.

'Dark house, by which once more I stand' communicates the difficult and confusing nature of loss. Despite the fact his friend is no longer there, Tennyson's narrator cannot help but stand by his house and remember him. His grief even stops him from sleeping. The last stanza also touches on another common struggle of those grieving. While the narrator is standing still by his friend's house, the rest of the world is waking up to start their day. He feels as if his world has stopped but, for everyone else, it continues.

In Memoriam, Tennyson: themes

Let's look at themes in Tennyson's poem.

Grief

Grief is a key theme in 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'. The narrator has lost someone very close and important to him. He is unsure how to process this and what to do next. His way of coping with his grief is to spend lonely hours in the early morning at the home of his late friend. There is also a strong sense of longing in 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'. Tennyson's narrator thinks back to the time before his friend passed away when he was excited to visit him in this very house. There is a clear wish here to return to this time.

Confusion

Confusion is also another significant theme in 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'. The narrator's world has stopped because of grief. However, as evident in the final stanza of Tennyson's poem, life is moving on without him. The day breaks and sounds of life can be heard. This can be confusing for one who is grieving. Someone who is grieving may feel like the whole world has stopped for them because of their loss. They cannot understand how the rest of the world is carrying on as normal, while they are left devastated and unable to move forward.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson's In Memoriam analysis

Below is a further analysis of Tennyson's poem.

Form, metre, and rhyme scheme

'Dark house, by which once more I stand' can be formally defined as an elegy, as can In Memoriam in general. It is made up of three stanzas, each of four lines.

Tennyson's poem is also in the rhyme scheme ABBA and follows the metre of iambic tetrameter.

The structure of 'Dark house, by which once more I stand' is consistent. It does not subvert its form. This constancy mirrors the constancy of grief for Tennyson's narrator. The use of the phrase 'once more' in the poem suggests that this is not the first time the narrator has visited his friend's home like this, and it certainly won't be the last.

Frequently noted imagery

Let's look at imagery in 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'.

The house

The house of the narrator's late friend is central in Tennyson's poem. The home is described as 'dark', insinuating its emptiness after the death of its owner. The image of the house lasts throughout the poem as the narrator does not move from where he is. He is on the street outside the house, by the front door. He finds both comfort and pain here, thinking of memories of his friend yet also grieving him. The house is what the narrator has to remember him by.

Hands

Hands are another essential image in 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'. Tennyson's narrator stands outside his friend's home and thinks back to a time when a friendly hand would have reached out to him from that doorway. However, those hands are no longer there. These hands are representative of a much larger loss, the loss of a dear and cherished friend.

Poetic devices

Below are poetic devices found in 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'.

Enjambment

Enjambment is found throughout Tennyson's poem.

This is an example of enjambment in 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'.

These lines run into the other as if they are one sentence, with no punctuation separating them. This can create a sense of urgency, encouraging an audience to read on faster. The lines also create an atmosphere of continuity. Just as they continue without stopping, so does the narrator's grief.

Metaphor

Metaphor is also key in Tennyson's poem.

In 'Dark house, by which once more I stand', the 'drizzling rain' that Tennyson describes in the final stanza can be read as a metaphor. The weather represents the mood of the narrator. The narrator feels gloomy and downtrodden and the surrounding weather reflects and represents this.

Tone

The tone of 'Dark house, by which once more I stand' is dejected and depressed. The narrator is deep in mourning for his lost friend. He is so impacted by the loss that he is unable to sleep, spending his nights and early mornings at his late friend's home. Tennyson showcases the pain of grief. The tone of the poem is also lonely. The narrator is the only living person mentioned and he misses his friend deeply.

In Memoriam, Tennyson: quotes

This is a table of important quotes from 'Dark house, by which once more I stand'.