"Break, Break, Break" is a poem written by Alfred Tennyson in 1830. The poem is a reflection on the passing of time and the inevitability of change. It speaks of the breaking of waves against the shore, the breaking of day into night, and the breaking of lives into moments. Throughout the poem, Tennyson uses repetition to emphasize the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. The poem concludes with the lines "And so through the ages let the spray / Of breakers on the beach be seen; / And let the song of earth be a hymn / To the great heart of ocean."
By Alfred Tennyson · First published 1834 · Genre: Poetry, Victorian