Tears by Edward Thomas (1918)
The poem explores themes of loss, memory, and the passage of time through the lens of personal experience and nature. The speaker reflects on moments of joy and beauty that evoke a deep emotional response, yet contrasts these with a sense of emptiness and the inability to express grief. The imagery of hounds running freely symbolizes vitality and the exuberance of life, while the reference to the "great dragon" suggests a powerful, almost mythical connection to the natural world. The juxtaposition of the vibrant scene with the speaker's internal state highlights a disconnection between external beauty and internal sorrow. The second part of the poem shifts to a memory of soldiers changing guard, which evokes a sense of nostalgia and pride. The music serves as a catalyst for reflection, stirring emotions that the speaker struggles to articulate. The soldiers represent youth and vitality, contrasting with the speaker's feelings of isolation and the weight of unexpressed emotions. Throughout the work, the speaker grapples with the idea of tears as a form of release, yet feels an absence of this cathartic expression. The ghosts of tears symbolize unacknowledged grief and the lingering impact of past experiences. The poem ultimately captures the tension between the beauty of fleeting moments and the enduring nature of sorrow, suggesting that while life is filled with joy, it is also marked by loss and the challenge of reconciling these opposing forces.
By Edward Thomas · First published 1918 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Nature Poetry, War Poetry · 170 words
First lines
It seems I have no tears left. They should have fallen -- Their ghosts, if tears have ghosts, did fall -- that day When twenty hounds streamed by me, not yet combed out But still all equals in their rage of gladness Upon the scent, made one, like a great dragon In Blooming Meadow that bends towards the sun And once bore hops: and on that other day When I stepped out from the double-shadowed Tower Into an April morning, stirring and sweet And warm. Strange solitude was there and silence.
What this Textopian page supports
Tears is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edward Thomas, dated 1918 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edward Thomas
- Date: 1918 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Nature Poetry, War Poetry, Modernist Poetry, Reflective Poetry
- Length: 170 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work expresses deep personal emotions and reflections, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Nature Poetry — The vivid imagery of the natural world and its impact on the speaker aligns with themes found in nature poetry.
- War Poetry — The mention of soldiers and the underlying themes of loss and memory connect the work to war poetry.
- Modernist Poetry — The fragmented structure and exploration of personal experience reflect modernist tendencies.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Emotion · Loss · Grief · Mourning · Solitude · Isolation · Melancholy · Longing · Nostalgia · Memory