The poems underlying iambic trimeter drags the rhythm of the
poem significantly, creating an underlying sluggishness. This, in turn, creates
a sense of depression- extremely appropriate for a poem concerning the
attitudes towards death and their lack of impact upon the deceased. A line that
captures this technique is ‘’And if thou wilt, forget.’’- The simplicity of
rhythm and structure in such a small and emotionally charged line reflects upon
the speakers aim to undermine the importance of death and its ability to erase
her from the memory of the living.
This line captures the ultimate fear of the
individual, to fade into oblivion. Your impact upon the world, the memories you
had and the people you met, your entire story is ultimately forgotten. This
truth is bittersweet, as its finality forces us to appreciate life, and all its
wonders, while we still can. A mention of such a crushing thought is very
taboo, even in today’s encouragement of discussion and debate. For the speaker
to mention this within her poem utterly contradicts her original aim, which is
to take power from grief as it is inefficient for the deceased. This shows the
speakers lapse in confidence, how she has to acknowledge her ultimate oblivion
in order to plough on with her interpretation of death being peaceful in
nature, despite the terrifying prospect of inevitability that comes with it.
The speaker structuring this in the iambic trimeter form
cloaks such a terrifying prospect in simplicity, which makes it seem
insignificant, compared with the overall message of the poem. Suggesting how
even the speaker, in all her bravado, is also terrified at the prospect of the
end. But merely implies an indifferent attitude for the sake of concern towards
her partner. Even the speaker, despite her undermining of death and how
ultimately it is anticlimactic, has doubts in herself and her beliefs. Much like
how humans doubt God and their morals, and the chaos of our society.
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