Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Under the wide and starry sky" is the first stanza of the poem "Requiem" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The poem is a meditation on the theme of mortality and the passage of time. The first stanza sets the scene for the poem, with the speaker imagining himself lying in a grave under the open sky. The image of the wide and starry sky suggests a sense of awe and wonder at the vastness and beauty of the natural world, and the speaker's willingness to embrace death as a natural part of the human experience. The phrase "Dig the grave and let me lie" suggests a sense of acceptance and resignation in the face of mortality, while the final line, "And I laid me down with a will," suggests a sense of purpose and determination in the face of death. Overall, the first stanza of "Requiem" is a powerful and moving meditation on the themes of mortality and the enduring power of the natural world to inspire and comfort us in the face of life's challenges and uncertainties

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...