Resumen
Resumen de Enoc Arden, etc.
Para quién es
For readers who love a story told in verse, sea tales, quiet moral dilemmas and Victorian feeling, with love, loyalty and sacrifice at their heart.
De qué trata este libro
Enoch Arden, &c. is a volume of poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, published in 1864. It takes its name from the title poem, a story in blank verse about a fisherman, his wife, and the man who also loves her. The same volume carries other poems of English life, among them Aylmer's Field and Sea Dreams.
Tennyson was then Poet Laureate, and the book shows him turning from knights and legends to ordinary people. The people here are sailors, millers and country families. Their griefs are plain, but the poet treats them with full seriousness. You will hear a story of love, hard work, absence and loyalty, set against a coast where the sea gives a living and takes it back. Let us begin with the three children at the heart of the title poem.
En este resumen
- 1Three children share one small harbour townFree
- 2Marriage and work bring luck, then a blow
- 3A farewell, a long wait, and a distant island
- 4Duty, sacrifice and the plain voice of the verse
Idea clave 1 de 4
Three children share one small harbour town
Enoch Arden opens in a fishing village on the English coast. A harbour, a cliff and a mill make up the world of the poem. Three children grow up here: Enoch Arden, Annie Lee and Philip Ray. Enoch is the sailor's son, bold and sure of himself. Philip is the miller's son, shy and gentle.
As a child, Enoch plays at being master of a household, and Annie is his make-believe wife. Philip stands at the edge of the game and wishes to be let in. Tennyson sketches this scene with warmth, and it plants the whole story. A game of the shore will later become a real choice with real costs.
The children grow up, and both boys come to love Annie. Neither of them is a villain. Enoch works hard and saves, and Philip keeps his feelings to himself. The poem asks you to care for all three, and that is why what follows hurts.
That’s 1 of 4 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- Enoch Arden
- A hardworking fisherman and sailor, Enoch is Annie's husband and a devoted father who risks a voyage to support his family.
- Annie Lee
- Enoch's wife and the mother of their children, Annie keeps the household going while waiting for news of him.
- Philip Ray
- The miller's son and Enoch's childhood companion, Philip has loved Annie since childhood and treats her family with kindness.
- The children of Enoch and Annie
- Enoch and Annie's young children depend on their parents, and their needs help drive their father's decision to sail.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 24,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 1 h 35 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 9 other languages
Questions about Enoc Arden, etc.
What is Enoch Arden about?
It is a narrative poem about a fisherman, his wife Annie and her old friend Philip Ray. A hardship sends Enoch to sea, and the poem follows what the separation does to all three.
Who are the main characters in Enoch Arden?
The main characters are Enoch Arden, a fisherman and sailor, Annie Lee, who becomes his wife, and Philip Ray, the miller's son who loves her. Their children also appear in the story.
When was Enoch Arden written and is it a true story?
It was published in 1864 in a volume of Tennyson's poems. It is a work of fiction, though it draws on the real life of English fishing communities and the dangers of seafaring.
Is Enoch Arden hard to read?
The language is clear and the blank verse flows like speech, so it is not difficult.
What is the main message of Enoch Arden?
The poem shows the cost of duty, sacrifice and faithfulness. It suggests that ordinary people can face moral choices as serious as those of heroes, and that love sometimes means giving something up.