How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
Break, break, break (1)
The speaker is telling the ocean waves to "break," but we don't realize that until the second line where he finishes the sentence. As we first read the poem, we just see this word "break" repeated three times. It's not a happy word – we break bones and hearts and vases. The word itself is a harsh word, with that "br" sound at the beginning and the hard "k" sound at the end. And the repetition, with the commas in between, "breaks" up the line, suggesting the speaker's "broken" heart…you get the picture.