Spoon River Anthology · Chapter
Hamlet Micure explained
In a feverish vision, the speaker revisits a childhood home transformed into a manor hall by the sea, where a man with a face like Euripides discusses the nature of 'divine despair' as expressed in Tennyson's 'Tears, Idle Tears.'
What happens
In a feverish vision, the speaker revisits a childhood home transformed into a manor hall by the sea, where a man with a face like Euripides discusses the nature of 'divine despair' as expressed in Tennyson's 'Tears, Idle Tears.'
Themes in this chapter
Death and Legacy
The vision includes the memory of little Paul's death by diphtheria, and the conversation about despair touches on the legacy of artistic expression.
The Search for Meaning
The speaker questions the meaning of 'divine despair,' seeking understanding of profound emotional and existential states.
Key passages
“What is 'divine despair' Alfred?”
The speaker asks Alfred about the concept of 'divine despair.'
The speaker seeks clarification on a poetic term from Tennyson.
“My poor friend, that was why the despair Was divine.”
Alfred explains that the despair was divine precisely because it was not fully captured in his poem.
The response suggests that true divine despair transcends artistic expression.