|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"First Death in Nova Scotia" by Elizabeth Bishop is a poignant and deeply evocative poem that explores themes of death, innocence, and the contrast between the living and the dead through the lens of a child's experience. The setting is a cold parlor, where the narrator's cousin, Arthur, lies in his coffin, surrounded by family portraits and a stuffed loon, creating a stark and chilling atmosphere that reflects the young narrator's confrontation with mortality. The poem opens with a vivid description of the parlor, setting the scene with chromographs of royalty, suggesting a sense of formality and the presence of tradition in the face of death. The inclusion of the stuffed loon, shot by Arthur's father, introduces an early symbol of death, one that is both literal and metaphorical. The loon, silent and frozen, mirrors Arthur's own state, creating a parallel between the natural world and human mortality. Bishop's use of the child narrator offers a unique perspective on death, one that is curious, innocent, and unfiltered by the complexities of adult understanding. The request by the narrator's mother to "Come and say good-bye to your little cousin Arthur" is a moment of initiation into the rituals of mourning, yet the child's response is focused on the tangible and the visual—the lily of the valley, the "little frosted cake" of a coffin, and the "red-eyed loon" watching over the scene. Arthur's description as "very small" and "all white, like a doll that hadn't been painted yet" evokes a sense of incompleteness, a life not fully lived, and the innocence of youth cut short. The imagery of Jack Frost painting him, leaving him "white, forever," further emphasizes the untimely and unfinished nature of his death, using the metaphor of unfulfilled potential and the abrupt cessation of life. The contrast between the warmth and vibrancy of the "gracious royal couples" and the cold, colorless depiction of Arthur and his surroundings underscores the poem's exploration of the boundary between life and death. The royals, "warm in red and ermine," represent the living, their vitality accentuated by their luxurious attire, while Arthur, in his eternal whiteness, symbolizes the starkness of death. The final stanza poses a rhetorical question that highlights the impossibility of Arthur's participation in the life depicted in the chromographs, "with his eyes shut up so tight / and the roads deep in snow." This question emphasizes the finality of death and the separation it creates, not only between the living and the dead but also between the worlds of childhood innocence and adult understanding. "First Death in Nova Scotia" is a masterful exploration of the themes of death and innocence through the eyes of a child. Elizabeth Bishop uses vivid imagery, contrast, and the innocence of the child's perspective to create a poignant meditation on the nature of mortality, the impact of loss, and the cold, inescapable reality of death that awaits us all, regardless of the warmth of life we may have known. POEM TEXT: https://mypoeticside.com/show-classic-poem-2936
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FIRST DEATH IN NOVA SCOTIA by ELIZABETH BISHOP WORDS ARE NEVER ENOUGH by CHARLES TORY BRUCE THE FLAG OF OLD ENGLAND by JOSEPH HOWE (1804-1873) THE BONNY BUNCH OF ROSES by ANONYMOUS ELIZABETHAN & NOVA SCOTIAN MUSIC by CHARLES LAURENCE NORTH SIX BUILDINGS: 3. LIBRARY by CHARLES LAURENCE NORTH TO HIS WIFE by JOSEPH STANSBURY RIO GRANDE by ALBERT EDMUND TROMBLY |
| |