Lord Tennyson Alfred's poem "Tears, Idle Tears" is a brief account of a gentleman reminiscing on the days that are no more. The author has a tone of dismay and longing for certain moments in the past. Alfred uses similes, imagery and symbolism to mold his tone. Early in the work, the line "Tears from the depth of some divine despair" conveys more than the initial words lead the reader to believe, bolstering Alfred's tone.
Throughout the poem, symbolism is a strong device reflecting the views of the author in abstract ways. In line 12 Alfred writes, "The casement slowly grows to a glimmering square" The casement, being symbolic of time, is a prime example of couth symbolism. In essence, this conjures thoughts of a world diminishing day by day until it is nothing but memories. The line exemplifies his feelings of longing and sorrow; the days can not be relived in full form. Alfred's poem is not only backed with material to decipher, but also detailed thoughts which gives the reader the full scope on his inner remonstration.
The vivid imagery in this poem truly is the tapestry within architecture of the poem which sets it apart from other works. In lines 12 and 13 he writes, "The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds, To dying ears, when unto dying eyes." Alluding to the cry of new born birds, this shows the process of viewing something memorable and then never having access to it again purely through the senses. Accordingly, Alfred emphasizes his dismay by using the word "dying." In typical conversation many other words would be suitable to channel a point; using "dying" yields unpleasant images in a rather commonplace situation. In addition, word choice is also cleverly orchestrated by using an array of comparisons for the final movement of his poetic symphony.
Similes are used throughout the poem to uphold the poet's sentiments by citing references to experiences that the reader can recall from mental chronicles.