lines inscribed upon a cup formed from a skull (211)

Question 1

“my spirit fled”

Answer 1

taking back ownership of the spirit; taking on the identity of the (probably) monk

deviates from the christian belief of what happens after death; implying the monk devoted his life to nothing

the spirit is the speaker still in the world rather than heaven

Question 2

what are the philosophy’s byron is promoting in the poem

Answer 2

hedonism

nihilism

Question 3

impact of the skull likely being from a monk

Answer 3

byron diverts the poetic voice; doesnt ‘sound’ like a monk

sacrilegious and urging life of abstinance

suggests monk wasted his life as he is still stuck as the speaker on earth rather than in heaven; which justifies byrons hedonistic actions

Question 4

“behold”

Answer 4

the speaker still uses religious language; almost as if reciting a new doctrine

byron is rewriting divinity with drink being what he is devoted to

Question 5

“i lived, i loved, i quaffed”

Answer 5

the use of triple is a parody especially regarding the speaker as a monk; could be a parody of the holy trininty of other religious refernces to the triple

Question 6

“thou casnt not injure me”

Answer 6

powerful imperitive suggests the monk has gained power since falling into hedonism

death as a release from weakness

Question 7

“nobler substitute than wine?”

Answer 7

wine is more noble than preaching as wine is purely for everyone; speaker finds more purpose in bringing pleasure as a wine glass than as a noble man

poem criticising nobility as we are all the same once we become skulls; the monks skull is no more nobles than byrons so why does it have more respect

Question 8

“reedem’d”

Answer 8

byron claiming god like powers during his ‘redemption’ of the monk into a deliverer of pleasure (wine)

furthered by giving a monk sacreligious words; byron is playing god in the narrative

Question 9

“worms of wasting clay”

Answer 9

to be burnt used to be a sign of sin; therefore his burial suggests a life without sin

byron corrupts this with the sacreligious and hedonistic language and message as well as the use to provide the ‘blood’ of god in a non-religious and sinful manner and even by the action of demolishing the sacred burial to retrieve the skull

Question 10

“to be of use”

Answer 10

to be buried and left is futile

the skull is now a wine glass as well as a poem; having two uses that go completely against a monks life commitments