Buried Passion in Matthew Arnold’s Tristram and Iseult

Abstract

Challenges earlier readings of the poem that find the ending dismal or compromising. Claims the poem ends on a positive note, as Iseult of Brittany is able to find peace after the turmoil surrounding the affair in which her husband is entangled. By telling her children the tale of Vivian’s burying Merlin – a symbol of her abandoning her foolish passion – Iseult is able to bring closure to her own past.