In Memoriam A.H.H. (L) - Alfred, Lord Tennyson
A Plea for Presence in Mortal Frailty
Be near me when my light is low,
When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick
And tingle; and the heart is sick,
And all the wheels of Being slow.
Be near me when the sensuous frame
Is rack'd with pangs that conquer trust;
And Time, a maniac scattering dust,
And Life, a fury slinging flame.
Be near me when my faith is dry,
And men the flies of latter spring,
That lay their eggs, and sting and sing
And weave their petty cells and die.
Be near me when I fade away,
To point the term of human strife,
And on the low dark verge of life
The twilight of eternal day.
In Section L (50) of “In Memoriam A.H.H.,” Alfred, Lord Tennyson delivers a moving invocation that underscores the speaker’s profound yearning for companionship and solace as he contemplates his own vulnerability and mortality. Each stanza begins with a repeated plea—“Be near me”—that intensifies the desire for a steadfast presence amid physical and spiritual trials.
The first stanza centers on the decline of the body: slow circulation, heightened nerve sensations, and a general sense of lethargy. By juxtaposing tangible, bodily discomfort (“the blood creeps, and the nerves prick”) with phrases like “all the wheels of Being slow,” Tennyson conveys how both body and spirit feel diminished. This imagery sets a tone of quiet desperation, yet also reveals hope in seeking comfort from someone or something outside of oneself.
Subsequent verses expand this theme beyond mere physical struggle. Tennyson personifies Time as “a maniac scattering dust” and Life as “a fury slinging flame,” both capturing the relentless erosion of the human condition. Spiritual fatigue emerges in the line “Be near me when my faith is dry,” suggesting a darkness in which the speaker fears abandonment or apathy. The speaker’s plea for closeness in these moments reveals how the presence of a supportive figure—perhaps God, a trusted friend, or love itself—can mitigate the dread of existential isolation.
The final stanza looks ahead to the threshold of life’s end, emphasizing how companionship remains essential even at this last horizon. By referencing “the low dark verge of life” and “the twilight of eternal day,” Tennyson uses dusk imagery to hint at a transition into a realm beyond mortal knowledge. The sense of twilight also underscores an ambiguity: it is at once an ending and the promise of dawn. This sense of duality resonates with the broader elegy’s search for a meaning that transcends grief.
As a standalone section, “In Memoriam A.H.H. (L)” encapsulates the poem’s principal motifs: bodily fragility, spiritual weariness, and the sustaining power of compassionate closeness. Through a gentle, melodic repetition of “Be near me,” Tennyson offers an intimate snapshot of human fear and longing, balanced by a tentative faith in love or divine presence that will not forsake the sufferer, even in life’s darkest moments.
Key points
• Emphasizes human frailty and the longing for comforting presence.
• Personifies Time and Life as destructive forces testing the speaker’s resolve.
• Highlights the speaker’s dry faith, signaling spiritual and emotional exhaustion.
• Uses twilight imagery to symbolize both the end of life and the possibility of renewal.
• Shows Tennyson’s skill in interweaving personal grief with universal human concerns about mortality and hope.
