The poem 'Break, Break, Break' by Lord Alfred Tennyson is an expressive lyric of grief and longing, written following the death of the poet's dear friend, Arthur Hallam. The poem opens with a vivid description of the sea waves breaking against cold, gray stones. The repetition of the word .........................
Break Break Break - Gem's English Reader - Class 8 - English
Renews every month. Cancel anytime
Your personal doubt-solving assistant
Chatterbot AI gives you 100% accurate answers to your questions in an instant.
Back Exercises - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Literature | English | Class 8
Fill in the blanks. Use can, could, would, may or might.
It was possible for you to come earlier. You _____________ have taken the earlier train.
When you say something seems possible. It means we _____________ expect a to happen.
The sky is overcast. You had better take an umbrella. It _____________ rain anytime now.
When we were younger, we _____________ run up that hill and race down too!
If an alternative plan is suggested, you _____________ decide to adopt that one, couldn’t you?
It was possible for you to come earlier. You could have taken the earlier train.
When you say something seems possible. It means we may expect it to happen.
The sky is overcast. You had better take an umbrella. It might rain anytime now.
When we were younger, we could run up that hill and race down too!
If an alternative plan is suggested, you might decide to adopt that one, couldn't you?
Complete the dialogue with will, would, won’t wouldn’t, could, ought to and must.
ANITA: You _____________ answer the doorbell as soon as it rings or the guests will leave.
MANNAT: Oh! That’s not right. They _____________ wait for a few moments, a least.
ANITA: I know. But they _____________ leave immediately.
MANNAT: You mean they _____________ have the patience to stop for a moment too?
ANITA: You and I _____________ do that, but they are very impatient.
MANNAT: Oh well! Even though I don’t like to be pushed, I guess I _____________ answer the
bell immediately. It _____________ harm me!
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWrite a persuasive letter to the Residents’ Welfare Association of the society you live in asking them to change all the light bulbs in the park to LED lights to conserve energy.
- Brainstorm before writing the letter.
- Format the letter properly.
- Be concise.
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowBack Questions - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Literature | English | Class 8
O well for the sailor lad,
That he sings in his boat on the bay!
Who is in the boat?
What does the fact that he's singing signify?
How does the poet feel when he realises that he's singing?
O well for the sailor lad,
That he sings in his boat on the bay!
Who is in the boat?
What does the fact that he's singing signify?
How does the poet feel when he realises that he's singing?
1. The one in the boat is the sailor lad.
2. The fact that he's singing signifies his youthful joy and contentment with his life at sea.
3. The poet feels a sense of sadness and longing as the sailor lad's happiness and youth reminds him of his own lost friend and the happiness they once shared.
Powered by Chatterbot AI
But O for the touch of a vanish’d hand
And the sound of a voice that is still!
What does the poet want to touch?
What does the poet want to hear?
What is the mood of the poet when he writes these lines?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhat is the poet thinking of as he watches the waves breaking on the shore?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhat does the phrase ‘O well’ mean?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhy does the poet envy the fisherman boy?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhat is the thing that will never return?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhose voice is still?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhat is the ‘haven under the hill’?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhy does the poet use the phrase a day that is dead to refer to the past?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWhy is the sea a useful symbol? Does the sea comfort the speaker?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowQuote two lines from the poem that are paradoxical.
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWrite words and phrases from the poem which indicate sorrow and the loss of a loved one.
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowExtra Questions - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Literature | English | Class 8
Break, break, break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
What emotions and thoughts does the speaker wish to express?
What is the speaker's tone and mood in this stanza?
How does the repetition of the word "break" contribute to the overall theme and mood of the poem?
What kind of imagery is the phrase "cold gray stones, O Sea" trying to create?
What does the "sea" symbolize in this stanza?
What poetic device is used in "I would that my tongue could utter"?
Break, break, break,
On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!
And I would that my tongue could utter
The thoughts that arise in me.
What emotions and thoughts does the speaker wish to express?
What is the speaker's tone and mood in this stanza?
How does the repetition of the word "break" contribute to the overall theme and mood of the poem?
What kind of imagery is the phrase "cold gray stones, O Sea" trying to create?
What does the "sea" symbolize in this stanza?
What poetic device is used in "I would that my tongue could utter"?
1. The speaker wishes to express his grief and longing for a lost friend. He has a deep sadness that he struggles to articulate and yearns for something that is forever lost.
2. The tone of this stanza is despairing and mournful, and the mood is sombre and melancholic, reflecting the speaker's inner turmoil.
3. The repetition of the word "break" contributes to the overall theme and mood by emphasizing the speaker's grief and hopelessness. It is an instance of the poetic device anaphora, where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses.
4. The phrase "cold gray stones, O Sea" creates an imagery of the immense, cold, and unforgiving sea. It sets a bleak and melancholic atmosphere that parallels the speaker's feelings of loss and desolation.
5. The "sea" in this stanza can be seen as a symbol of both the overwhelming, cruel force of nature and the depth of the speaker's emotional struggle.
6. The statement "I would that my tongue could utter" uses the poetic device of personification. The speaker gives his tongue a human quality – the ability to express his deepest emotions, thereby emphasizing his frustration at not being able to fully express his feelings.
Powered by Chatterbot AI
‘O well for the fisherman’s boy,
That e shouts with his sister at play!
O well for the sailor lad,
That he signs in his boat on the bay!
What is all right for the two buys?
Why does he call it all right?
Why does he talk about them?
How does the joy of the fisherman's boy and the sailor lad contrast with the overall mood of the poem?
Does Tennyson use any figurative language in this stanza? If so, how does it contribute to the stanza's overall meaning?
Improve your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowImprove your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowImprove your grades!
Join English Chatterbox to access detailed and curated answers, and score higher than you ever have in your exams.
Sign up nowWe've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Line-by-line explanation in Hindi and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Break Break Break Quiz - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
Vocabulary - Flashcards - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
About the Poet - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809 – 1892) is considered one of the greatest English poets of the Victorian era. Born in Lincolnshire, Tennyson was largely self-educated and began writing poetry at a young age. He was selected Poet Laureate in 1850, succeeding William Wordsworth. His poetry reflected the major issues of his time, including social change and scientific progression. One of his most popular poems, 'Break, Break, Break,' is well-known for its themes of loss and longing, expressing Tennyson's deep grief over the loss of his close friend, Arthur Hallam. Despite facing financial struggle and personal loss, Tennyson's work was well-received, and he remained a popular poet even after his death. His ability to touch upon universal themes and human conditions in his poetry contributed to his lasting impact on English literature.
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock About the Poet and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Summary - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
Unlock the full summary
Themes - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Grief and Loss: The overarching theme of 'Break, Break, Break' is grief and loss, particularly Tennyson's grief over the loss of his close friend, Arthur Hallam. Tennyson's emotions are deeply intertwined with the imagery of the breaking ....
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Themes and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Symbols - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
Several symbols are used in 'Break, Break, Break' by Lord Alfred Tennyson to convey various themes and emotions within the poem:
1. Sea: The endless, breaking sea waves...
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Symbols and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Poetic Devices - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
Lord Alfred Tennyson employs several poetic devices in ‘Break, Break, Break’ to enhance the emotional depth of the poem:
1. Alliteration: The repetition of the initial consonant sounds is used to add rhythm and musicality to the poem. For example, 'Break....
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Poetic Devices and everything else
Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - Break Break Break | Gem's English Reader | Class 8 Literature | English
Haven: a small port
After a long sea voyage, the ship finally reached a small haven, providing the sailors a much-needed break from the tumultuous ocean waves.A day that is dead: a day that is gone
The sun had set, stars peppered the sky, and as the moon shone brightly, it was clear that the vibrant day was now dead, giving way to the stillness of the night.
Utter: To express something by speaking out loud.
He was too ....................
We've got so much more in store, just for you! 🤩
Sign up to unlock Vocabulary and everything else
Unlock now 🔓