[Poem] IN MEMORIAM A.H.H. (II) - Wrestling with the Limits of Language

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In Memoriam A.H.H. (II) - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The Paradox of Expression and Deep Grief

I sometimes hold it half a sin
To put in words the grief I feel;
For words, like Nature, half reveal
And half conceal the Soul within.

But, for the unquiet heart and brain,
A use in measured language lies;
The sad mechanic exercise,
Like dull narcotics, numbing pain.

In words, like weeds, I’ll wrap me o’er,
Like coarsest clothes against the cold;
But that large grief which these enfold
Is given in outline and no more.

In the second section of “In Memoriam A.H.H.,” Alfred, Lord Tennyson grapples directly with the challenge of articulating grief. He acknowledges the inherent paradox of language: words can both reveal and obscure the intensity of one’s sorrow. The speaker begins by calling it “half a sin” to express his deep mourning in words, noting that language, like nature, offers only partial insight into the soul’s profound suffering.

Yet Tennyson also highlights how “measured language” may soothe an “unquiet heart and brain.” The act of writing, though imperfect, carries a therapeutic power. The poem likens words to a “sad mechanic exercise” or “dull narcotics,” suggesting that channeling grief into structured verse can momentarily numb anguish—even if it cannot entirely capture it.

This short passage underscores a key tension central to much of the poem: how does one convey the enormity of loss when the very tools of expression inevitably fall short? Tennyson likens words to “weeds,” a coarse barrier that shields him from the chill of despair. Yet he recognizes this coverage is merely an outline, never capturing the fullness of what he feels. His sorrow remains partly hidden behind the veil of language.

Section II is thus a miniature manifesto on the value and shortcomings of poetic expression. While Tennyson recognizes that speaking grief out loud can be fraught with inadequacy, he also finds in poetry a gentle balm—an organized process that may soften the sharp edges of mourning. The speaker’s conflict between revealing and concealing underscores a thematic thread running through the entire elegy: grief is both intensely personal and strangely universal, and it constantly pushes the limits of what words can do.

Key points

• Examines how language is both an aid and a barrier to expressing grief
• Suggests poetry offers partial solace for an “unquiet heart and brain”
• Highlights the tension between revealing and obscuring one’s inner sorrow
• Portrays words as necessary but inherently limited in capturing profound loss
• Offers a thematic bridge into the broader questions of faith, loss, and meaning in the poem

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