The Dead
These hearts were woven of human joys and cares,
Washed marvellously with sorrow, swift to mirth.
The years had given them kindness. Dawn was theirs,
And sunset, and the colours of the earth.
These had seen movement, and heard music; known
Slumber and waking; loved; gone proudly friended;
Felt the quick stir of wonder; sat alone;
Touched flowers and furs and cheeks. All this is ended.
There are waters blown by changing winds to laughter
And lit by the rich skies, all day. And after,
Frost, with a gesture, stays the waves that dance
And wandering loveliness. He leaves a white
Unbroken glory, a gathered radiance,
A width, a shining peace, under the night.
I could not really understand the theme of it, is it because I am so bad?
All this is ended.
There are waters blown by changing winds to laughter
And lit by the rich skies, all day. And after,
Frost, with a gesture, stays the waves that dance
And wandering loveliness. He leaves a white
Unbroken glory, a gathered radiance,
A width, a shining peace, under the night.
Shows that how heroes stop the war and change dreadfulness to happiness and joy
ps: I wrote this just so that my mom would be satisfied.
Thanks to your mum for encouraging you to contribute!
Can you explain your interpretion?
PS @Eggman, Nobody will help you.
See the pun?
Nice one! 😆
From Nobody, Eggman&Anonymous.
The poem has a typical Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme, which is characterized by the ABAB CDCD EE FGFG, which includes 3 quatrains and 1 couplet.
The first couplet: It shows that people put effort into them and care for the soldiers who died. The “woven” is imagery, which further implies that the soldiers were cared for by the civilians and loved ones.
The second couplet: Shows their growth through the years and the similarities to other people. This exemplifies their innocence and simplicity. Anthropomorphism in the first line, “the years had given them kindness,” showing they have changed and matured over the years.
The third and fourth couplet: These four lines show that they have once lived a normal life, experiencing vivid emotions and memories, but the last line, “all this is ended” represents the sudden change of the lifestyle and environment that happens once they join the war. We can see an example of polysyndeton in “touched flowers and furs and cheeks,” which implies the sheer amount of freedom one has when not engaging in combat.
The fifth couplet: The fifth couplet shows that joy and laughter are seen when the soldiers are free men, not bound by war.
The sixth and seventh couplet: The last quatrain honors the dead soldiers who fought for the kingdom. The “unbroken glory” exemplifies that the soldiers got the glory but they didn’t live to see it.
Miscellaneous:
1. Related to Suicide in the Trenches in forms of symbolism: “I knew a simple soldier boy” shows the freedom of the child before going to war, similar to the second quatrain.
2. Related to Suicide in the Trenches in forms of theme: War changes people because Suicide in the Trenches has “the hell where youth and laughter go” and The Dead includes a contrast between freedom (before war) and war.
You guys have really done some sterling work here. I hope Eggman appreciates your efforts 🙂
I think this is worth a green flag.
Words like “touched flowers and furs and cheeks” make me feel like its a poem written after the war ends, having emotions of hope happiness and survival.
Nice idea, but this comes just before ‘All this is ended.” Coupled with the title, doesn’t that suggest that these were things that “These hearts” experienced while they were alive but that they aren’t any more? Or perhaps these experiences were from a time in their lives when they could experience the beauty around them but that they cannot any more?
Personification at 12th line ,leaves a isolated feeling.metaphor at 9th line ,and lively suggests that the feeling of the dead
Some notes me, Mary and Samantha made
Thanks 👍 👍
Helpful notes.
The rhyme scheme is ABABCDCDEEFGFG
Great! So, does this have any effect on the reader? Does it mean anything?
Well, my initial thoughts are that the poem starts with two quatrains with an ababcdcd rhyme scheme and these two quatrains describe life in the past tense with the final half line of the second quatrain stating that ‘All this is ended’. That seems to directly reflect the title of the poem.
We then get a rhyming couplet and a final rhyming quatrain (fgfg). These seem to be describing the passage of seasons. Perhaps the images of weather conditions are metaphors representing something else, but personally I interpret this as meaning the world will still be turning when you’re gone – i.e. people lived and died and it makes no difference to the weather or seasons or the passage of time.
Does anybody else have any ideas?