No Tears

No Tears

By
Alexander pushkin

Under the blue skies of her native land
She languished and began to fade...
Until surely there flew without a soundAbove me, her young shade.
But  there  stretches between us an uncrossable  line;
In vain my  feelings  I  tried to awaken.
The  lips that  brought  the  news were made of  stone,
And  I  listened like  a  stone, unshaken.
So this is she  for  whom  my soul once burned
In the  tense  and heavy  fire,
Obsessed, exhausted, driven out of my mind
By tenderness and desire!
Where  are  the  torments?  Where is love? Alas!
For  the  un returning  days'
Sweet  memory  and for  the  poor credulous
Shade,  I find no lament, no tears.

Introduction to the poem
‘ No  Tears ’  is  a  lyrical poem in  which  a  lover  speaks at the death  of  his  beloved. This poem is  not written  in the  expected elegiac  mood  and it  surprises us lament, no tears”.About the author :Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799-1837) was a Russian author of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature. He was born into an aristocratic family of Moscow. At a very early age, he became acquainted with the classics and exhibited talent in creative writing. Pushkin published his first poem at the age of fifteen and was widely recognized by the literary establishment by the time of his graduation from the imperial Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo. In 1820 he published his first long poem, Ruslan and Lyudmila amidst much controversy about its subject and style. 
Summary
The  lover  says  that  far  away  from  him,  in  her  native  land,  his  young  beloved  slowly withered away.  Eventually,  her  soul  departed  from  her  body  and  flew  away  into  the  sky.    Now  there  is  a  line between  the  worlds  of  the  living  and  the  dead  (the  lover  and  his  beloved)  which  he  could  not  cross.    The lover  tried  to  rouse  his  emotions  for  her  but  it  was  in  vain.    The  person  who  brought  the  news  of  her  death showed  no emotion.    The  poet  listened  to  the  news  unmoved  like  a  stone. The  lover  says  that  it  is  the  same  lady  for  whom  his heart  once  used  to  burn  in  the  scorching  heat of  the  intensity  of  their  love.    Immersed  fully  in  the  pangs  that  love  kindled,  he  was  often  driven  out  of  his mind  because  of  the  desire  for  his  beloved.  The  poet  asks  himself  where  all  those  ardent  feelings  have gone.    Now  his  heart  is  barren, devoid  of  all  love.  He confesses  that  he  has  no tears for  her. The  sweet memories  of their  good  old  days  or  the poor  helpless  spirit,  fail  to produce  any  grief  in  him. 
1. Why is the poet sure that the spirit has flown above him?The poet believes that the spirit has flown above him because his beloved 's soul had departed from her body.
2. What  is the ‘uncrossable line’ that  the  poet  refers to?
The  poet  refers to the uncrossable  line  between the worlds of  the  living  and the dead.
3. “And  I  listened like  a stone, unshaken”. Identify  and define  the  figure  of  speech?
The  figure  of  speech  used  is simile. Simile  is  an explicit comparison  between  two different things, actions, or  feelings, using  the  words  ‘as’  or ‘like’.
4. Find the  rhyme  scheme  of the poem?
The  rhyme  scheme  of  the poem is abab cdcd  efef  ghgh.
Paragraph question and answers :
1. How does the poet describes the death of his lover?
The poet describes the death of his lover in a quiet different way. He  listened  to  the  news of  her death  with dead emotions. He  tried  to  awaken  his feelings  for  her,  but  it  was in  vain. She died in her native land, far away from him. The poet is certain that her spirit must have flown above him by saying bid farewell to him. Then the poet describes about an uncrossable line between the worlds of the living and the dead. The sweet memories of their good old days or the poor helpless spirit, fail to produce any grief in him.
2. The  poet  mourns  for  the lost  love  rather  than  the death  of  his  beloved. Do you agree? Substantiate  your  answer with reasons?
The  poet  speaks  at  the  death of  his  beloved.    The  news  of his  beloved’s  death  did  not make any  feelings  in  him. He tried to  rouse  his  emotions for her,  but  it  was  in  vain. There  was  a time  when  her very thought  excited  his  heart. He was  often  driven  out  of  his mind  because of  the  desire  for his beloved.  Now  that  she  is dead , feelings the  poet  wonders where  all  those ardent  have gone. Now  his  heart  is barren, devoid  of  all  love. He confesses  that  he  has no tears left  for  her. This change in the lover  after  his beloved’s  death shows  that  he mourns for  the lost  love rather than the  death of  his beloved. 
Essay
1. Discuss the  emotional sincerity  and honesty  that Pushkin expresses in the  poem.
Alexander  Pushkin’s No  Tears is a  lyrical poem  where  a  lover speaks  at  the  death of  his beloved. Not  written  in  the expected  elegiac  mood,  the poem surprises  us with  the honest statement, “I  find  no lament, no tears”. The  poet  does  not  feel sad  at  his  beloved’s  death. He listened  to  the  news  of  her death  without  any  feeling. He tried  to  awaken  his  feelings for  her,  but  it  was  in vain.    The poet  reminisces  about the days  of  courtship,  when  his heart  used  to  burn  in  the scorching heat  of  the  intensity of  their  love. Immersed  fully in  the  pangs  that  love kindled,  he  was often  driven out  of  his  mind  because  of the  desire  for  his  beloved. But  after  her  death  he has lost  all  such sensations. The poet  wonders  where  all  those intense  and  passionate  feelings have  gone. Now his  heart  is barren,  devoid  of  all  love. He openly  confesses  that  he  has not  tears left  for  her. In this poem, Pushkin expresses the lover’s f eeling  with emotional sincerity  and honesty.