The Princess: Home they Brought her Warrior Dead is a famous poem by Tennyson.

Summary

The story of a widow who lost her husband in combat is told in the poem Home they Brought her Warrior Dead. The reader may see the widow’s response from a distance thanks to the third-person narration. As a result, the reader empathizes with the other members of the group and shares their worry for the widow and perplexity about her response.

The widow is simply acknowledged in the opening few stanzas as a woman who has lost her spouse.

The final verse, though, makes it clear that she is a mother as well as a widow. This realization illuminates her behaviour, enabling the audience to see what had been going through her mind as she realised, she would have to raise the kid by herself without her spouse.

Structure

The poem has four stanzas of four lines which is the most followed pattern throughout the poetry world. The rhyming scheme is ABAB, making the reader not lose their rhythmic speed and consistency.

The Princess: Home they Brought her Warrior Dead: Literary Devices

In the poem “Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead”, a number of repeating poetic devices can be observed.

Symbolism can be seen in the phrase which the maidens’ utterance of the words “She must weep, or she will die” symbolises the fact that the lady is a subject who hasn’t shed a single tear since her husband’s body has been brought back from the battlefield. She is supposed to pass away if she doesn’t cry since she is in shock and unable to communicate her suffering, which will shortly be the cause of her passing away.

Simile can be seen in the phrase “Like summer tempest came her tears” as tears are compared to the summer tempest with the use of like.

Alliteration can be seen in numerous places, for instance, in the phrases “Home they brought her warrior”, “She nor swoon’d” and “She must weep or she will die”.

The Princess: Home they Brought her Warrior Dead: Detailed Analysis

“Home, They Brought her Warrior Dead” really displays a mother’s heart. The people anticipated her behaviour as they would suppose a widow to act when the dead warrior was brought home. But because the widow was also a mother, her maternal instincts caused her to put the child’s needs ahead of her own. She did not stare at the dead guy in front of her in horror or incredulity. She wasn’t emotionless or indifferent. She was terrified that her child would grow up without a father.

When the widow turned to face her kid, she shouted out her vow to care for the child and give her life for the kid. The widow was finally able to express her own grief at that point. She was able to consider her personal loss and express her sorrow in tears after she had made the decision to live for her kid and to shelter and protect the child despite the fact that the child no longer had a father.

In the first stanza, the speaker discusses a woman’s response to having her deceased spouse brought back to her. She is unable to weep because of how overpowering her sadness is. She didn’t swoon, faint, or even utter a sound. Her friends saw her and were concerned for her since it appeared that she wasn’t grieving appropriately.

If she did not cry as she should, they worried that she could pass away. They thought that if this woman did not grieve, her inability to express her anguish would ultimately lead to her death.

In the second stanza, it was shown that the deceased guy was hailed by those who were close to him, as is common in deaths. They discussed his life and the nice deeds he performed. They discussed the type of friend he was to them and “declared him worthy to be cherished.” He was referred to as “genuine” and “noble.”

The dead man’s widow was unable to talk or move, however, while others around her wept and shared recollections. She didn’t move. No one was aware of what was going on in her head, but she appeared to be in shock. No amount of memories appeared to be able to make the widow cry. But she remained unaffected.

Even if many around her talked about him and paid honour to his memories, perhaps she was unwilling to accept his passing. The people around her are unsure of why the woman isn’t showing any signs of emotion, but they try to cheer her up by complimenting her husband in order to be able to console her.

In the third stanza, one of the young ladies there approaches the deceased guy and removes the cloth that had been covering his face since the wife is still refusing to cry. Maybe she assumed that because she still did not believe or acknowledge that this dead guy was her husband, his wife was incapable of grieving.

The widow’s friends and family are certain that she should grieve. This friend, in an effort to assist the woman come out of her shock and allow her to grieve appropriately, shows her the face of her late husband because she won’t display any symptoms of sorrow when people talk about him.

In the fourth stanza of “Home, they Brought her Warrior Dead”, the cause for the widow’s silence is ultimately revealed to the audience. She hasn’t been callous or disregarding of her husband’s passing. She has not even shown any signs of shock or disbelief, as her neighbours may have assumed. Instead, her terror has left her unable to move.

She didn’t consider her personal suffering from losing her husband. Instead, she considered the unfortunate child. She did not start crying uncontrollably or “like a summer tempest” until she saw the kid’s nurse place the child “upon her knee.” Sweet my child, I live for thee, she wailed.

FAQs

Who was dead in the poem ‘Home they brought her warrior dead‘?

The story of a widow who lost her husband in war is told in the book Home they Brought her Warrior Dead. The reader may see the widow’s response from a distance thanks to the third-person narration.

What is the central idea of the ‘home they brought her warrior dead‘?

The story of a widow who lost her husband in combat is told in the poem Home they Brought her Warrior Dead. The reader may see the widow’s response from a distance thanks to the third-person narration.

What reaction did the maiden show towards the warrior?

The maidens extolled the warrior, calling him a man worthy of love. He was the best buddy you could have and the most honourable warrior you could meet.

Why are tears compared to summer tempest?

The poet is describing how the widow’s emotions all erupted at once at seeing “his kid on her lap” by comparing her weeping to a June tempest.