‘Nothing Will Die’ is a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Nothing Will Die: Summary
The speaker opens the poem “Nothing will Die” by asking a series of questions. The answer to each of these questions is “never.” The wind will never cease blowing, the clouds will never stop “fleeting,” and humanity’s heart will never grow “aweary of beating.”
He goes on to say in the second portion that the future will bring change, but that this does not necessarily signal the end. Because nothing can die, change merely brings about a new kind of life. Spring will always return, in some form or another, to rejuvenate the earth.
In the closing words, he summarises his prior statements, concluding that everything will change, nothing was ever born that did not previously exist, and nothing can ever truly die as all life returns to the ground.
Structure
‘Nothing Will Die’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a three-stanza poem divided into three sections of ten lines, sixteen lines, and nine lines. Each stanza has its own unique rhyming scheme.
The first consists of rhyming sets of tercets and couplets that follow the pattern AAABBCCDDB. The last five lines of this section, which are in the form of a list, should be noted. The speaker is listing all of the reasons why the world will continue indefinitely.
The second stanza is constructed differently, with ABACCDEEBDFGHHFG rhyming. The lines do not rhyme in the same sequence, but by the end of the stanza, each line has found its corresponding rhyme.
The rhyme arrangement is changed once again in the third verse. It follows the AABCDDCEB pattern. The sole noteworthy line in this section is the one that concludes with the word “death.” This was done on purpose in order to detach the notion of death. It also ties the last words to lines four and five of the opening stanza, both of which conclude with the word “die”.
Nothing Will Die: Literary Devices
Tennyson’s main rhetorical device in the poem is anaphora, a transferred term expressed in free verse with rhyming schemes. The anaphora in the poem generates a sense of repeating thoughts, which the poet uses to draw the reader’s attention. The poet weaves repeats and refrains to call attention to certain concepts or topics on the continual flow of life and the eternal hope of future existence.
The line “when will the ” is repeated anaphorically in the first stanza, and the transferred epithet is the adjective “aweary” addressing the nouns “stream,” “wind,” “clouds,” and “heart,” where the adjective is used to characterize these nouns that are restless and never at rest.
The anaphora method is wonderfully woven and is wholly a cemented framework of the poem. The nouns are always moving and flowing, which the poet describes as restless and dynamic, or simply the eternal movement of these things in one’s existence.
The poem’s final line encapsulates the full concept of dynamism and the immortal movement of nouns as described by the poet. The phrases are repeated in such a way that they address the poem’s main topic of eternity and endless unrest.
Nothing Will Die: Detailed Analysis
The speaker opens the opening stanza of this composition by asking the reader a series of questions. These are rhetorical, which means they are not intended to be replied to. The speaker knows what he wants to hear from the audience and is prepared with what he believes is the proper response.
The opening lyric wonders when “the stream” would become tired, or “tired of flowing / Under my eye?” As will become evident, he is attempting to persuade the audience that “Never” is the answer to every question he poses. The river will never weary of flowing; it will remain unchanged for the rest of time.
The second question follows immediately after the first. In these lines, he wonders when the wind will become tired, or “aweary” of “blowing.” As previously stated, the proper answer, at least in his perspective, is never.
These lines are followed by a third that is structured similarly. This time, he refers to the clouds, who are never weary of “fleeting” through the same sky.
The wind, the river, and the clouds are not defeated by tiredness. They cannot be worn down by time or adversity. Tennyson’s speaker hopes to connect these natural components to the human heart. Because humans are a part of nature, they will never get “aweary of beating.” The force which is “nature” will never “die.”
The pattern in which the lines are created varies dramatically in the second part of the stanza. They are reduced to less than half their original length and are presented in the form of a list. The speaker is so certain of himself that he says that these aspects will continue indefinitely. He returns to the preceding lines’ concerns, wind, clouds, the river, and one’s heart, using the title of the poem and adding, “Nothing will die.”
The speaker’s optimism takes on a new form in the piece’s second stanza. The lines begin with the title repeated, “Nothing will die.” Although he still thinks this, he recognizes that things will constantly change as one progresses “Through eternity.” It is impossible for the world to remain static.
As an example, he describes a future world in which “winter; / Autumn and summer /Are long gone.” These seasons no longer exist, and “Earth is dry to the core.” This bleak outlook on the future is rapidly dispelled. It turns out that he does not anticipate the planet to dry up forever, but only for a short period of time.
The “rich” spring will return sooner or later. It will be “strange” because it has been so long since the season. The winds will “blow / Round and round,” moving around the planet from “here to there” with it. This procedure will revitalize the planet and allow life to begin “anew.”
The speaker attempts to summarize the various points described in the previous two stanzas in the final stanza, which is the shortest of the three. The first line describes the world as a place that “was never made.” It was not designed to be one thing or the basic “world” that humanity is familiar with. “Things will change.” This transformation is not to be feared since it will never “fade.” The world will never come to an end.
In the next passage, he invites the reader to surrender to the powers of nature and let the “wind range” through the days of “eternity.” It will continue to move, in some form or another, for the duration of time.
The concluding sentences serve as a brief summation of the speaker’s beliefs. He claims that “nothing” was ever born, that nothing came into being without some prior history or relationship, in this case, to nature. He also claims that “nothing will die” as all life returns to the planet, and that “all things will change.” He does not see change as something to be feared. It is a natural element of the world in which we live and should be welcomed.
FAQs
What is the theme of the poem ‘Nothing will die‘?
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘Nothing Will Die’ conveys a speaker’s perspective on life, death, and the significance of natural change on Earth.
When was ‘Nothing will die‘ written?
Nothing was born; nothing will die; all things will change. This is an early poem by Tennyson, published in his first book (Poems, mainly lyrical) in 1830.
How does Tennyson begin the poem all things will die?
“All Things Must Die” is a poem on how nothing lasts forever. Everything will be gone at some time, comparable to how the sentence “… The stream will cease to flow…” explains that the stream will ultimately dry up and cease to exist since nothing lasts forever.