Adeline by Alfred Tennyson (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

Adeline 

by Alfred Tennyson

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

Adeline

Mystery of mysteries,

Faintly smiling Adeline,

Scarce of earth nor all divine,

Nor unhappy, nor at rest,

But beyond expression blest,

In some dreamless, endless trance,

Thou dost evermore advance,

Like a shadow or a glance.

 

Pale and pensive, yet serene,

In thy melancholy sheen,

Thou dost charm us and beguile,

With the music of a smile,

That can never reach the heart,

Nor undo its secret smart,

But with gentle force impart

Something sweeter than thou art.

 

Wan and wondrous, faintly gleaming,

In thy visionary dreaming,

Thou dost float, a spirit fair,

Through the dim enchanted air.

Softly fading, yet returning,

With a strange and tender yearning,

In thy deep eyes ever burning,

Lies a world we cannot share.

 

Why dost thou so faintly hover,

Like a visioned dream of lover,

Half in heaven, half on earth,

Shadow of celestial birth?

In thy voice a silver bell

Seems to ring a fairy knell,

Softly calling, none can tell,

To what regions of the spell.

 

Adeline, oh Adeline,

Mystery of mysteries divine,

Ever fleeting, ever near,

Never wholly disappearing,

Yet so faint, we scarce can see

What the charm that clings to thee.

In thy smile and in thy tear,

Something whispers, "Do not fear."

 

Summary

Alfred Tennyson’s poem "Adeline," first published in 1830 as part of his collection Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, is a lyrical and evocative work that presents a mysterious and ethereal female figure named Adeline. Spanning five stanzas, each consisting of eight lines, the poem paints a vivid portrait of a woman who exists in a liminal space—neither wholly of the earthly realm nor entirely divine. Through delicate imagery, rhythmic language, and a dreamlike tone, Tennyson crafts a character who captivates the speaker with her enigmatic presence, fleeting beauty, and otherworldly charm. The poem is less a narrative than a meditative exploration of Adeline’s elusive essence, conveyed through descriptions of her appearance, demeanor, and the emotions she evokes. Below is a detailed summary of the poem’s content, tracing its progression through each stanza to capture the full scope of Tennyson’s portrayal.

In the opening stanza, Tennyson introduces Adeline as a "mystery of mysteries," immediately establishing her as an enigmatic figure who defies easy definition. She is described as faintly smiling, a quality that lends her an air of quiet allure. The speaker notes that she is neither fully earthly nor divine, existing in a state that transcends both realms. Adeline is neither unhappy nor at peace, but instead resides in a "dreamless, endless trance," suggesting a timeless, almost supernatural quality. Her movement is likened to a "shadow or a glance," emphasizing her fleeting, insubstantial nature. This initial depiction sets the tone for the poem, framing Adeline as a figure who is both present and intangible, captivating yet elusive, as if she exists just beyond the grasp of human understanding.

The second stanza deepens the portrayal of Adeline’s enigmatic character by focusing on her serene yet melancholic presence. Described as "pale and pensive," she exudes a quiet beauty that is tinged with a "melancholy sheen." Her smile is portrayed as musical, capable of charming and beguiling those who encounter her. However, this smile does not fully reach the heart, suggesting an emotional distance or unattainability. It carries a "secret smart," a subtle pain or longing that remains hidden, yet it imparts a sweetness that surpasses Adeline’s own essence. This paradox—her ability to enchant while remaining emotionally distant—further underscores her mysterious nature, as she evokes feelings that are both tender and unattainable, leaving the observer captivated yet unfulfilled.

In the third stanza, Tennyson shifts to a more ethereal description, presenting Adeline as a spectral figure who "floats" through a "dim enchanted air." Her "wan and wondrous" appearance and "faintly gleaming" quality evoke a dreamlike or visionary state, as if she is a spirit rather than a corporeal being. The imagery of her fading and returning suggests a cyclical, almost ghostly presence, while her "deep eyes ever burning" convey a sense of intense emotion or longing. These eyes are said to contain a "world we cannot share," reinforcing the idea that Adeline exists in a realm apart from the speaker and the reader. Her presence is both alluring and inaccessible, a vision that draws the observer in but remains ultimately out of reach, heightening the sense of mystery that surrounds her.

The fourth stanza continues to explore Adeline’s liminal existence, questioning why she "faintly hovers" like a "visioned dream of lover." This comparison to a lover’s dream underscores her romantic yet unattainable quality, as she exists "half in heaven, half on earth." The speaker describes her voice as a "silver bell" that rings like a "fairy knell," a delicate yet haunting sound that seems to call to an unknown, magical realm. This auditory imagery enhances the otherworldly atmosphere, suggesting that Adeline is connected to a mystical or enchanted world that remains beyond human comprehension. The stanza’s questioning tone reflects the speaker’s fascination and confusion, as they grapple with the nature of Adeline’s existence and the spell she casts.

In the final stanza, Tennyson brings the poem to a close by directly addressing Adeline, reiterating her status as a "mystery of mysteries divine." She is described as "ever fleeting, ever near," embodying a paradox of presence and absence. Her smile and tear are noted as carrying a whisper of reassurance, urging the observer not to fear despite her elusive nature. The poem concludes on this note of gentle mystery, leaving Adeline’s true essence unresolved. She remains a figure who is both present and intangible, a vision that lingers in the mind but cannot be fully grasped or understood. Through this final address, Tennyson encapsulates the central tension of the poem: Adeline’s ability to enchant and captivate while remaining forever out of reach.

In summary, "Adeline" is a lyrical meditation on an enigmatic female figure who exists in a liminal, dreamlike state. Through vivid imagery and delicate language, Tennyson portrays her as a being of ethereal beauty, neither fully of this world nor entirely divine, whose presence evokes a sense of wonder, longing, and mystery. Each stanza builds on this portrayal, emphasizing her fleeting nature, melancholic charm, and otherworldly essence. The poem ultimately leaves the reader with a sense of Adeline’s elusive allure, a figure who captivates the imagination but remains forever beyond full comprehension.

 

Line-by-Line Paraphrase

Stanza 1 

Mystery of mysteries, 

-> An enigma beyond all enigmas, 

Faintly smiling Adeline, 

-> Gently smiling Adeline, 

Scarce of earth nor all divine, 

-> Barely earthly, yet not fully divine, 

Nor unhappy, nor at rest, 

-> Neither sad nor at peace, 

But beyond expression blest, 

-> But blessed in a way words cannot capture, 

In some dreamless, endless trance, 

-> In a timeless, dreamless state, 

Thou dost evermore advance, 

-> You continuously move forward, 

Like a shadow or a glance. 

-> Like a fleeting shadow or a brief look.

 

Stanza 2 

Pale and pensive, yet serene, 

-> Pale and thoughtful, yet calm, 

In thy melancholy sheen, 

-> With your sorrowful glow, 

Thou dost charm us and beguile, 

-> You enchant and captivate us, 

With the music of a smile, 

-> With a smile that feels like music, 

That can never reach the heart, 

-> That never fully touches the heart, 

Nor undo its secret smart, 

-> Nor relieves its hidden pain, 

But with gentle force impart 

-> But gently conveys 

Something sweeter than thou art. 

-> Something more tender than your own essence.

 

Stanza 3 

Wan and wondrous, faintly gleaming, 

-> Pale and marvelous, softly shining, 

In thy visionary dreaming, 

-> In your dreamlike, visionary state, 

Thou dost float, a spirit fair, 

-> You drift, a beautiful spirit, 

Through the dim enchanted air. 

-> Through a hazy, magical atmosphere. 

Softly fading, yet returning, 

-> Quietly vanishing, then reappearing, 

With a strange and tender yearning, 

-> With an odd and gentle longing, 

In thy deep eyes ever burning, 

-> In your intense, ever-glowing eyes, 

Lies a world we cannot share. 

-> Is a realm we cannot access.

 

Stanza 4 

Why dost thou so faintly hover, 

-> Why do you linger so faintly, 

Like a visioned dream of lover, 

-> Like a dreamed vision of a beloved, 

Half in heaven, half on earth, 

-> Partly in heaven, partly on earth, 

Shadow of celestial birth? 

-> A shadow born of heavenly origins? 

In thy voice a silver bell 

-> In your voice, a clear, bell-like tone 

Seems to ring a fairy knell, 

-> Seems to chime like a magical toll, 

Softly calling, none can tell, 

-> Gently summoning, though no one knows 

To what regions of the spell. 

-> To what enchanted places.

 

Stanza 5 

Adeline, oh Adeline, 

-> Adeline, dear Adeline, 

Mystery of mysteries divine, 

-> Divine enigma beyond all enigmas, 

Ever fleeting, ever near, 

-> Always slipping away, yet always close, 

Never wholly disappearing, 

-> Never completely vanishing, 

Yet so faint, we scarce can see 

-> Yet so faint, we can hardly perceive 

What the charm that clings to thee. 

-> What the allure is that surrounds you. 

In thy smile and in thy tear, 

-> In your smile and in your tear, 

Something whispers, "Do not fear." 

-> Something softly says, "Have no fear."

 

Analysis of "Adeline" by Alfred Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson’s "Adeline," published in 1830 as part of his early collection Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, is a quintessential example of his youthful poetic style, marked by lyrical beauty, vivid imagery, and an exploration of the ethereal and unattainable. Comprising five stanzas of eight lines each, the poem presents Adeline as a mysterious, almost otherworldly female figure who captivates the speaker with her elusive charm. Through its delicate language, dreamlike atmosphere, and thematic focus on liminality, longing, and idealized beauty, "Adeline" invites readers into a meditation on the nature of mystery and the human desire to grasp the ineffable. This analysis delves into the poem’s thematic concerns, structural elements, imagery, and tone, exploring how Tennyson crafts a portrait of an enigmatic figure who exists at the intersection of the earthly and divine.

At its core, "Adeline" is a study in liminality, portraying its titular figure as a being who defies categorization. From the opening line, "Mystery of mysteries," Tennyson establishes Adeline as an enigma, a figure who transcends ordinary human experience. She is described as "scarce of earth nor all divine," existing in a state that is neither fully terrestrial nor wholly celestial. This ambiguity positions her as a liminal entity, hovering between the tangible and the spiritual, a quality that recurs throughout the poem. The phrase "nor unhappy, nor at rest" further underscores her state of suspension, suggesting a detachment from human emotions like sorrow or contentment. Instead, Adeline resides in a "dreamless, endless trance," a state that implies timelessness and an almost supernatural existence. This liminality is central to the poem’s allure, as it presents Adeline as a figure who is perpetually out of reach, inviting fascination while resisting comprehension.

The theme of unattainability is intricately woven into the poem’s imagery and language. Tennyson employs delicate, almost ghostly imagery to depict Adeline’s fleeting presence. In the first stanza, she is likened to "a shadow or a glance," evoking something ephemeral that disappears as soon as it is perceived. This imagery continues in the third stanza, where she "floats, a spirit fair, / Through the dim enchanted air," reinforcing her spectral quality. Her "wan and wondrous" appearance and "faintly gleaming" visage suggest a soft, otherworldly glow, as if she is a vision rather than a corporeal being. The repetition of words like "faintly" and "softly" throughout the poem enhances this sense of intangibility, portraying Adeline as a figure who is always on the verge of vanishing. This quality of being "ever fleeting, ever near" in the final stanza encapsulates the paradox of her presence: she is close enough to captivate but distant enough to remain ungraspable.

Tennyson’s use of sensory imagery, particularly visual and auditory elements, further enriches the poem’s exploration of Adeline’s enigmatic nature. Her "faintly smiling" expression and "melancholy sheen" in the second stanza create a visual portrait of a woman whose beauty is tinged with sorrow, evoking a sense of gentle melancholy. The "music of a smile" is a striking metaphor, blending visual and auditory imagery to suggest that her smile carries a lyrical quality that enchants the observer. However, this smile "can never reach the heart," indicating an emotional barrier that prevents true connection. Similarly, in the fourth stanza, her voice is compared to a "silver bell" that rings a "fairy knell," an auditory image that evokes a magical, almost mournful sound. These sensory details work together to create a dreamlike atmosphere, where Adeline exists as a vision that engages the senses but eludes full understanding.

The poem’s structure and rhythm contribute significantly to its ethereal tone. Each stanza follows a consistent eight-line format with a regular rhyme scheme (typically ABABCCDD), creating a musical flow that mirrors the poem’s lyrical content. The iambic meter, with its steady alternation of unstressed and stressed syllables, lends a hypnotic quality, reinforcing the trance-like state associated with Adeline. The repetition of certain sounds, such as the soft "s" and "f" sounds in phrases like "faintly smiling" and "softly fading," enhances the poem’s delicate, almost whisper-like quality. This musicality aligns with Tennyson’s broader style in Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, where he often prioritizes sound and rhythm to evoke emotion and atmosphere. The structure also allows for a gradual deepening of the speaker’s fascination, with each stanza building on the previous one to explore new facets of Adeline’s mystery.

The emotional undercurrent of the poem is one of longing and quiet awe, tempered by a sense of resignation. The speaker is clearly captivated by Adeline, as evidenced by the direct address in the final stanza: "Adeline, oh Adeline." Yet, there is an acknowledgment that her essence cannot be fully grasped. The phrase "a world we cannot share" in the third stanza suggests a barrier between the speaker and Adeline, a divide that is both emotional and existential. This longing is further emphasized in the fourth stanza’s questioning tone: "Why dost thou so faintly hover, / Like a visioned dream of lover?" The comparison to a lover’s dream introduces a romantic dimension, but it is a romance that remains unfulfilled, existing only in the realm of imagination. The final stanza’s reassurance, "Something whispers, ‘Do not fear,’" offers a note of comfort, suggesting that Adeline’s mystery, while unattainable, is not threatening. This resolution does not dispel the enigma but instead invites acceptance of it.

In the context of Tennyson’s early work, "Adeline" reflects his fascination with idealized feminine figures, a recurring motif in poems like "Mariana" and "The Lady of Shalott." These figures often embody beauty, melancholy, and a sense of otherness, serving as vehicles for exploring themes of isolation and longing. Adeline, with her ghostly presence and unattainable allure, fits this archetype, but her lack of a specific narrative or setting makes her more abstract than other Tennysonian heroines. This abstraction aligns with the poem’s placement in Poems, Chiefly Lyrical, a collection that emphasizes mood and emotion over plot. The poem also reflects the Romantic influences of Tennyson’s early career, particularly in its evocation of the sublime and the ineffable, qualities that resonate with the works of poets like Keats and Shelley.

In conclusion, "Adeline" is a masterful exploration of mystery, beauty, and unattainability, crafted through Tennyson’s lyrical prowess and vivid imagery. The poem’s portrayal of Adeline as a liminal, ethereal figure invites readers to contemplate the nature of fascination and the human desire to connect with the unknowable. Through its delicate language, musical structure, and evocative imagery, the poem creates a dreamlike atmosphere that lingers in the mind, much like Adeline herself. By leaving her mystery unresolved, Tennyson underscores the power of the ineffable, inviting readers to embrace the beauty of the unattainable without seeking to fully understand it.