After Death
by Christina Rossetti
The curtains were half drawn, the floor was swept
And strewn with rushes, rosemary and may
Lay thick upon the bed on which I lay,
Where through the lattice ivy-shadows crept.
He leaned above me, thinking that I slept
And could not hear him; but I heard him say,
‘Poor child, poor child’: and as he turned away
Came a deep silence, and I knew he wept.
He did not touch the shroud, or raise the fold
That hid my face, or take my hand in his,
Or ruffle the smooth pillows for my head:
He did not love me living; but once dead
He pitied me; and very sweet it is
To know he still is warm though I am cold.
Summary of After Death
- Popularity of “After Death”: This poem is written by Christina Rossetti, a well-known English poet. After Death is a heart-touching poem about unrequited love and sorrow. First published in 1862, the poem shows the expression of the grief of a woman neglected by her lover when she was alive. It also highlights the possibility of life after death in that even after departure, the deceased mourn the tragedies having gone through in life. The poem simultaneously deals with the wonder of death and tragic love.
- “After Death” As a Representative of Sorrow: The poem demonstrates a young woman’s perspective of a man who visits her after death. It begins with the gloomy description of a place in which the speaker is on her deathbed. It is a dark room with a swept floor covered with rushes and blossoms. The silence of the room is disturbed by a man who enters and mourns the deceased. Although he does not touch or disturb the dead woman, the deceased’s soul is awake, and she can see the happenings of her waking hours.
The indifferent behavior of the visitor and his cold response toward the corpse suggest how he might have treated the lady when alive. Ironically, the woman also tells the reader that the person did not care for her when she was alive, and now that he is showing concern over her death. However, the speaker is pleased that the man is alive and happy. The selfless approach of the speaker that even after her death is quite notable and she is happy for the man who never comforted her when she was alive. - Major Themes in “After Death”: Innocence, death, and unrequited love are significant themes of the poem. On a surface level, the poem revolves around the fixation of a person on a woman who has departed. While on a deeper level, it highlights how people do not realize the value of someone until they are gone. Although the speaker has left for her eternal abode, she still feels happy for the man who failed to love her the way she wanted. Her description of the man and his cold response suggests that the man took her for granted when she was alive, and even after death, his sorrow seems artificial.
Analysis of Literary Devices in “After Death”
literary devices are modes that enhance the intended impact of the poem. It is through these devices the writers express their ideas and emotions clearly. Christina Rossetti has used some literary devices to make her text appealing. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been listed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /ee/ in “He pitied me, and very sweet it is” and the sound of /uh/ in “The curtains were half drawn, the floor was swept”.
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession such as the sound of /h/ in “And could not hear him; but I heard him say” and the sound of /r/ in “And strewn with rushes, rosemary and may.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Christina Rossetti has repeated the words “‘Poor child” in the eighth line of the poem to emphasize the point such as; “‘Poor child, poor child’: and as he turned away.”
- Euphemism: It is a figure of speech designed to replace phrasing that would otherwise be considered harsh or unpleasant. The poet has used this device in the ending line of the poem such as: “To know he still is warm though I am cold.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“The curtains were half drawn, the floor was swept
And strewn with rushes, rosemary and may
Lay thick upon the bed on which I lay,
Where through the lattice ivy-shadows crept.” - Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “The curtains were half drawn, the floor was swept”, “That hid my face, or take my hand in his” and “Lay thick upon the bed on which I lay.”
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The writer has used dramatic irony in the poem to show that the mourner did not love her when she was alive such as “He did not love me living; but once dead.
- Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. The poet has personified shadows in the first quatrain such as; “Where through the lattice ivy-shadows crept.”
Analysis of Poetic Devices in “After Death”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. The post has used end rhyme in the text. For example, “head/dead”, “sway/away” and “crept/slept.”
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here, the first two stanzas are quatrains.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows a rare rhyme scheme: ABBA, ABBA, and ABCCBA rhyme scheme.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem with each comprises a different number of verses.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below can be used by the people who had never been courageous to speak their hearts or express their sentiments at the appropriate time.
“He leaned above me, thinking that I slept
And could not hear him; but I heard him say,
‘Poor child, poor child’: and as he turned away
Came a deep silence, and I knew he wept.”
