Although it is commonly accepted that God created the natural world, nature is often described as a force acting in opposition to God and his creation. In words 56 of Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem In Memoriam, nature seems to have conquered God, leading to a cold and uncaring world that shows no remorse for creation. This depiction, which today can be supported by evidence of mass extinctions throughout history, presents an interesting way of looking at how God and the world interact. In these words, the speaker of the poem concludes that God is absent, leaving merciless nature to determine the fate of humanity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayIn Memoriam is a poem written by Lord Alfred Tennyson to eulogize the death of his friend and future brother-in-law , Arthur. Hallam, died aged 22 (Robson 1186). The poem, which mimics the stages of grief, can be divided into four sections: despair, doubt, hope and faith (Caleb 3/3/2016). Lyrics 56 enters the second stage of the grieving process and focuses on religious doubt. The rhyme scheme of this poem is ABBA, which envelops the reader in the poem. This rhyme scheme also creates a monotonous hum, characteristic of grief, because when one is grieving, everyday events as well as important life events can seem mundane. Additionally, In Memoriam is considered hypertext, so while it may seem ideal to read the poem as one, each lyric can function on its own and does not need to be read in strictly sequential order (Caleb 3 /3/2016). Lyrics 56 of In Memoriam opens with a conversation between the speaker and nature, illustrating nature's carelessness toward life on earth. The speaker questions nature by stating, "'So careful of this guy?' But no. ”, which answers the question both briefly and abruptly, indicated by the two-syllable answer and the final period (Tennyson 1). This first group of lines ends with a response from Nature proclaiming that all life will be eradicated in a non-discriminatory manner, just like the countless species that have already become extinct (3-4). Nature continues in the conversation by asserting, "'I make live, I make die: / Spirit means only breath,'" declaring not only the power of nature over creation, but the fact that nature has the power to create life, emphasized in the repetition of the phrase “I bring” (6-7). In these lines, the word spirit is understood to mean “the animating or vital principle in man (and animals); that which gives life to the physical organism" rather than "The soul of a person, as commended to God" because Nature, rather than God, claims to be the source of creation and breath is the only reason for animation ("spirit"). Additionally, the rhyme of the words death and breath is significant, especially given the order. By using the word death before breathing, nature echoes the multitude of species that became extinct before the creation of humanity. By proclaiming Nature as creator and destroyer of life, God discredits himself in his role as divine and omnipotent being. In these words, the speaker mocks the power of God and the devotion of man. Man's devotion to God is expressed: Man, his last work, which seemed so beautiful, a design so splendid in his eyes, who rolled the psalm towards the winter skies, who built for him fans of fruitless prayers, who believed that God was truly love (9-13) These lines describe both the effort exerted by a follower of God as well as the lack of reward receivedin exchange for his devotion. Most notably, these lines claim that man is a creation of nature, rather than God, which is indicated by calling man "his last work". In these lyrics, the word wintry can be interpreted to mean "devoid of fervor [sic] or affection", indicating that although man is faithful and devoted to God, the kindness he expresses through song is not reciprocal (“winter”). Additionally, the creation of temples and churches is described as unsuccessful. By asserting that the creation of places of worship produces no results, the speaker claims that there is no God, and therefore the man who believed that "God was love" will only be disappointed in his faith because nothing will come of it (Tennyson 13). . In addition to dismissing God as creator, these words highlight the animal characteristics of nature. After discussing creation's love toward God, a break is indicated by the use of a dash m, followed by the image: "Though nature, red in tooth and claw / With a ravine, cried out against his creed –” representing the opposition between God and God. Nature (Tennyson 14-15). In this context, redness symbolizes blood, emphasizing the violence of the battle between these two forces. The use of the words tooth, claw and scream also draws attention to the primitive attributes of Nature. This excerpt from the battle ends with an M dash, representing another interruption in the flow of words. By choosing to change focus rather than continuing to depict the battles, it shows that this battle is not over, but ongoing. Instead, the speaker speculates on humanity's long-standing battles, wondering if all progress will simply be wiped out and "be blown away by the dust of the desert, / Or locked in the hills of iron?" (Tennyson 19-20). Whether humanity becomes dust or fossilized, all knowledge of the achievements and difficulties that man has faced will be lost, rendering the current life, as well as all previous life, insignificant. At the end of these words, the speaker falls into utter despair, completely doubting the existence of God. In the last four lines, the speaker concludes that Nature is the ultimate force present in the world, and that divinity is absent: O life so futile, then so fragile! O your voice to soothe and bless! What hope for a response, or repair? Behind the veil, behind the veil. (Tennyson 25-28) The speaker's despair at his conclusions regarding the absence of God, as indicated by the exclamation point, expresses that life lacks purpose and that the efforts of humanity can be easily destroyed by nature. While the speaker begs for comfort from God, again indicated by the punctuation, his religious doubt will not allow him to continue to believe in God, which is indicated by the final line "behind the veil, behind the veil" . In this sentence, the word veil has a double meaning. One meaning of this expression could be that it is an allusion to "the world to come", but a veil is also "something that hides, covers or hides" ("veil"). In this context, a combination of the two definitions makes it possible to deduce the meaning of the expression: the veil, an allusion to the afterlife, also serves to conceal the fact that there is no afterlife nor of divine presence. This double meaning can also be inferred from the rhyme of the words frail and veil, indicating that the refutation of an afterlife is imminent. Additionally, this phrase is repeated to emphasize the speaker's skepticism and despair, which once again ultimately points to the lack of an afterlife. to be divine. Lyrics 56 of In Memoriam highlight a low point in the speaker's religious doubt in which the speaker concludes, 2016.