A Farewell by Alfred Tennyson (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

A Farewell

by Alfred Tennyson

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

A Farewell

Flow down, cold rivulet, to the sea,

Thy tribute wave deliver:

No more by thee my steps shall be,

For ever and for ever.

 

Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea,

A rivulet then a river:

Nowhere by thee my steps shall be,

For ever and for ever.

 

But here will sigh thine alder tree,

And here thine aspen shiver;

And here by thee will hum the bee,

For ever and for ever.

 

A thousand suns will stream on thee,

A thousand moons will quiver;

But not by thee my steps shall be,

For ever and for ever.

 

Summary

Alfred Tennyson’s poem A Farewell is a tender and melancholy meditation on parting, expressed through the imagery of a flowing rivulet. In this poem, the speaker addresses a small stream that moves steadily toward the sea, using it as both a symbol and a companion for his reflections on departure and the permanence of separation. The poem unfolds in a series of stanzas that echo one another, creating a sense of continuity, inevitability, and calm acceptance.

The opening stanza begins with an invocation to the rivulet: “Flow down, cold rivulet, to the sea, / Thy tribute wave deliver.” At once, the stream is depicted as part of a larger cycle, carrying its waters to the vast ocean. The word “tribute” emphasizes its role in offering something to a greater whole, hinting at a theme of surrender and finality. The speaker declares that his steps will no longer follow the rivulet, “for ever and for ever.” The repetition underscores the absolute nature of the farewell; it is not a temporary absence, but a final departure. The tone is gentle yet decisive, establishing the mood of the poem.

The second stanza continues the address, but now the rivulet is seen in its growth: “Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea, / A rivulet then a river.” The imagery here traces the stream’s journey as it moves through meadows, growing stronger, widening into a river. Despite this natural growth and movement, the speaker again asserts that his steps will never accompany it again. The refrain “for ever and for ever” returns, marking the permanence of the separation. The contrast between the rivulet’s ongoing journey and the speaker’s absence heightens the poignancy of the farewell.

In the third stanza, the focus shifts from the rivulet’s course to the natural life surrounding it. The speaker imagines how the landscape will continue to respond to the stream’s presence: “But here will sigh thine alder tree, / And here thine aspen shiver.” The alder sighs and the aspen trembles, responding to the presence of the water. Bees will continue to hum near the stream. These details evoke the vitality and continuity of nature, suggesting that life will carry on unbroken along the rivulet’s banks. Yet, once more, the speaker insists that his own steps will no longer be part of this scene. The refrain is repeated again, and with each return it becomes weightier, reinforcing the idea that his departure is final and irrevocable.

The fourth and final stanza broadens the perspective even more. No longer limited to the stream’s immediate surroundings, the speaker imagines the passage of celestial cycles: “A thousand suns will stream on thee, / A thousand moons will quiver.” The rivulet will witness countless days and nights, bathed in sunlight and moonlight, long after the speaker is gone. This vision emphasizes the endurance of nature in contrast with the brevity of human life. The rivulet flows on, kissed by eternal rhythms, while the speaker is absent, separated from it for eternity. The refrain concludes the poem: “But not by thee my steps shall be, / For ever and for ever.”

As the poem unfolds, the structure itself mirrors the gentle, steady flow of the rivulet. Each stanza begins with an image of the stream—its movement, its surroundings, its relationship with nature—and then closes with the refrain of permanent absence. This cyclical pattern mirrors the flow of water and time, reinforcing the central theme of inevitability. The repetitions also deepen the sense of finality, for with every stanza the reader feels the speaker moving further away from the rivulet and from the earthly life it represents.

Throughout the summary of the poem’s imagery, one can trace the speaker’s farewell not only to the rivulet but, by implication, to the world of the living. The rivulet functions as a companion to his reflections: it continues to move, to nurture, to interact with the world, even as he must leave it behind. Its ongoing presence in nature—flowing through lawns and meadows, shaded by trees, sung to by bees, and illuminated by countless suns and moons—stands in stark contrast to the speaker’s absence. The repeated recognition of “for ever and for ever” suggests a farewell to earthly life itself, spoken with a sense of calm inevitability rather than anguish.

In summary, A Farewell gently traces the act of parting through a dialogue with a rivulet. Each stanza widens the scope of imagery—from the sea to the meadow, from the trees and bees to the sun and moon—yet always returns to the reminder that the speaker’s steps will no longer accompany the rivulet. This creates a flowing rhythm of continuity and absence, natural beauty and personal farewell. The poem does not resist the separation but accepts it, portraying it as part of the larger rhythm of existence. Life in nature will go on endlessly, while the speaker himself departs, leaving behind the rivulet and all its accompanying scenes, “for ever and for ever.”

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Stanza 1

Flow down, cold rivulet, to the sea,

-> Keep moving, chilly little stream, until you reach the sea.

 

Thy tribute wave deliver:

-> Give your small share of water to the vast ocean.

 

No more by thee my steps shall be,

-> I will never walk beside you again.

 

For ever and for ever.

-> This parting is final and eternal.

 

Stanza 2

Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea,

-> Move gently through the grassy lawns and open meadows.

 

A rivulet then a river:

-> You begin as a small stream but will grow into a river.

 

Nowhere by thee my steps shall be,

-> My feet will never again trace your path.

 

For ever and for ever.

-> This is permanent and unchanging.

 

Stanza 3

But here will sigh thine alder tree,

-> Yet the alder tree by your banks will still rustle sadly in the wind.

 

And here thine aspen shiver;

-> And the aspen tree will continue to tremble in the breeze near you.

 

And here by thee will hum the bee,

-> Bees will still buzz around your waters and flowers.

 

For ever and for ever.

-> All this will continue forever, but without me.

 

Stanza 4

A thousand suns will stream on thee,

-> You will be lit by countless bright days in the future.

 

A thousand moons will quiver;

-> You will also reflect the light of countless nights and moons.

 

But not by thee my steps shall be,

-> Yet I will no longer be here to walk beside you.

 

For ever and for ever.

-> I am gone from you forever.

 

Analysis in Detail

Alfred Tennyson’s A Farewell is a short but deeply poignant lyric in which the poet reflects on departure, mortality, and the permanence of separation. It is not only a goodbye to a rivulet, as the literal words suggest, but also a symbolic farewell to life, companionship, and earthly scenes. Through gentle repetition, natural imagery, and musical rhythm, Tennyson captures the stillness and inevitability of death while presenting it in a tone of calm acceptance rather than despair.

The most striking feature of this poem is its address to a natural object—a rivulet or small stream. Tennyson often used nature as a mirror for human emotions, and here the rivulet becomes the silent listener to the poet’s farewell. It represents continuity and life’s flow, yet also serves as a reminder of the speaker’s absence. By personifying the rivulet, Tennyson transforms it into a companion, almost as if the poet were saying goodbye to an old friend. The refrain “for ever and for ever” underscores the finality of the parting, suggesting not just a temporary absence but a permanent departure, a recognition of death’s certainty.

The first stanza introduces this theme with clarity. The rivulet is instructed to “flow down” to the sea and “deliver” its tribute of water. Here the image of the rivulet flowing to the sea reflects the natural cycle of life. The individual life, like a small stream, merges eventually into the larger whole. At the same time, the speaker affirms that his steps will no longer follow the rivulet. This establishes the contrast between continuity and absence: the stream continues its course, but the speaker is excluded from its future.

The second stanza develops this image further by describing the rivulet’s journey across “lawn and lea.” The soft flowing motion of the water mirrors the quiet tone of the poem. Tennyson traces the rivulet’s growth—from a small stream to a river—perhaps reflecting the stages of life. Yet, in parallel with this natural growth, the poet reminds us that he will no longer be present. Human life does not accompany the stream indefinitely; instead, it ends, while the stream flows on.

In the third stanza, Tennyson widens the scope of the rivulet’s world. He points to the alder tree sighing, the aspen shivering, and the bees humming by its banks. These images create a vivid sense of the natural community that surrounds the water. The sigh of the alder and the shiver of the aspen suggest movement, change, and life continuing in delicate harmony. The bees, symbols of vitality and work, will carry on buzzing around the rivulet. Nature is alive and responsive. Yet once again, the poet insists that he will not be part of this scene. The refrain “for ever and for ever” takes on more weight here: even though life continues in beauty and variety, the speaker is absent. The sense of separation becomes stronger, but it is expressed without bitterness, only with quiet acceptance.

The final stanza elevates the imagery to a cosmic level. The rivulet is pictured beneath “a thousand suns” and “a thousand moons.” These are not literal numbers but symbols of unending cycles of time—the rising and setting of the sun, the waxing and waning of the moon. The rivulet is enduring, a witness to ages, bathed in light for countless days and nights. Against this vast backdrop of eternity, the poet repeats his absence. He will not walk by the rivulet, no matter how many suns and moons shine upon it. This juxtaposition of the eternal cycles of nature with the brevity of human life captures the essence of the poem: nature continues endlessly, while human presence is fragile and finite.

Stylistically, A Farewell is marked by simplicity and musicality. The language is not complex, but it is carefully chosen for its sound and rhythm. The repeated use of “flow” mirrors the motion of the water, while the refrain “for ever and for ever” creates a sense of inevitability, like a tolling bell. The parallel structure of each stanza—moving from description of the rivulet to the refrain—creates a circular rhythm, much like the flow of the stream itself. This symmetry reinforces the idea of continuity in nature against the backdrop of human departure.

Emotionally, the poem does not express fear or struggle. Unlike some of Tennyson’s other works that wrestle with grief and doubt, A Farewell presents departure as something natural, even gentle. There is sadness in the repetition of absence, but there is also serenity in the acceptance of nature’s ongoing rhythm. The rivulet, trees, bees, sun, and moon are not diminished by the speaker’s absence; they carry on as before. This continuity provides a kind of comfort, suggesting that while the individual must depart, life and beauty remain.

In a broader sense, A Farewell can be read as a meditation on mortality, where the poet prepares himself for death by speaking directly to nature. By framing death as a farewell rather than a violent break, Tennyson softens its harshness. The poem becomes an act of resignation, even of peace. Death is not portrayed as an end to all beauty, but as a departure from participation in beauty. The rivulet, in its flowing constancy, becomes both a symbol of what the poet is leaving and a reminder of the enduring rhythms of creation.

In conclusion, A Farewell is a delicate, reflective lyric that distills the experience of saying goodbye into simple, memorable images. Through the metaphor of a rivulet, Tennyson conveys the inevitability of death, the permanence of separation, and the endurance of nature. Its calm tone, steady rhythm, and repeated refrain invite the reader to share in a mood of gentle acceptance. The poem leaves us with the sense that life’s flow is larger than the individual, that nature continues even as we part from it, “for ever and for ever.”