Cold In The Earth Flashcards
introduction
In this poem, Emily Bronte describes the grief following her lover’s death, and then offers a different perspective on the experience of loss. Throughout the poem, Bronte movingly portrays the themes of the past versus present, death versus rejuvenation and faith versus doubt, conveying her emotional journey from wild grief to grudging acceptance.
paragraphs
1) theme of loss
2) theme of time
3) religious and cosmic imagery to convey feelings
4) resolution at end
paragraph 1 on the theme of loss
1) “cold” - first word os poem uses long, drawn out vowels evoking a wail or cry of pain, creating an impression of the poet’s suffering. Becomes motif throughout the first half of the poem creating a sombre atmosphere.
2) “thee” - direct , address showing she remains in her past life with her lover, unable to move on, implying a sense of longing for her lover.
3) “far, far” - repetition emphasises distance heightens the sense of cruel separation.
4) “only love” - exclusive absoulute conveys her intense passion, making their separation feel even more heartbreaking.
5) “fifteen wild Decembers” - extent of time passing emphasises attachment to lover as still the subject of her art. Winter landscape feels savage, wild and barren, reflecting her emotional state. It seems to be a pathetic fallacy as the landscape echoes her grief.
6) ABAB rhyme scheme makes the poem sound like a song of mourning or lament.
paragraph 2 on theme of time
1) “melted in spring” - image of season conveys the idea of regeneration, rebirth and growth. The landscape comes to represent her emotions and with its thawing we see how much like the seasons she is undergoing a transition.
2) fourth stanza (structural and emotional heart of poem) is an apostrophe addressing her absent lover. Central idea of poem that can’t fight change and be stuck in past forever.
3) “sweet love of youth” - sense that she has matured and it is time for her to move on
4) “world’s tide is bearing me along” - metaphor for time alluding to the natural movement of time. Bearing me suggests out of her control. She i merely a passive entity. Inappropriate to fight the natural transition. Justify to lover.
paragraph 3 on religious and cosmic imagery
1) Shift in Bronte’s language in the second half of the poem. Previously framed her suffering and grief in the physical landscape of the earth. However now there is a dramatic shift in her language as she uses cosmic and religious imagery. Suggests enlightenment, move beyond physical grief into greater awareness and realisation.
2) “no other sun… no other star” - anaphora emphasises absoulutes, stressing her deep love for him. Cosmic imagery of intense light and positivity strongly contrasts to former cold. Lover was source of warmth and life (sun) and guiding force (sun)
3) “golden dreams” - not real, glittered fantasy which she can no longer mourn.
4) “Despair” - religious state when abandoned by God’s grace personified to convey a sense of battle.
5) “raptuous pain…divinest anguish” - striking oxymorons convey bittersweet recalling of lost loved one. Divine suggests ecstatic and pure and raptuous suggests compelling, conveying how comforting it can be to relive memories. However mingled with pain and anguish so cannot be repeated so ultimately damaging to remember.
paragraph 4 on parting sentiment/resolution
1) “useless passion” suggests how unfulfilling and ultimately pointless her continued mourning of her lover is.
2) “denied its burning wish to hasten down to the tomb” - intensely damaging to hold on to grief. Burning show intense and fierce desire, revealing how cannot continue or would be overpowered by desire to commit suicide.
3) “I dare not let it languish, dare not indulge” - repetition convey determination as she moves to resolution. Indulge is language of consumption highlighting how slipping into easy manner of mourning will ultimately consume and destroy you.
4) “how could i seek the empty world again?” - conviction as now fully aware of how damaging past is. Empty conveys barren and insubstantial showing how if allow past to control present will seem empty. Again shows how would not be able to recover for a second time showing importance to stay strong.
conclusion
In conclusion, Bronte creates an ambivalent image of her feelings, portraying the conflict between hope and despair and emotional constraint and expression. The poem shows the journey the poet has taken from intense all consuming grief at the start of the poem to resolution at then end. Although the loss of her lover still plagues her and will never fully go away there is a sense that Bronte has been able to transcend her grief and move on with her life.
