![]() Southey possesses a strong narrative voice in the poem, speaking as someone who seems to identify with “the Dead” rather than the ‘living’, that he prefers the company of the old books over the company of other people. This can be linked to the first line of the poem where his acknowledges that his days with “the Dead are past”, perhaps referring to the fact that he realises that if he wants to leave a mark on the world he will have to step out of his comfort zone and into the ‘living’. His hope to live on as one to be noted can be seen here when he says he wants to leave his memory that will not “perish in the dust”, making it something tangible and concrete that can be felt by the reader. His uncertainty about his future is shown when he says “leaving here a name, I trust,/That will not perish in the dust.” He is unsure as to how his memory will be left behind, and he puts his “trust” that he will be remembered as remarkably as the old books that have left an impression on him. It also highlights the importance of the books to the poet, that he depends on them to always being there for him, which also links to the fact that he goes to them to seek comfort and celebrate joy. This could give rise to curiosity from the reader as it seems to suggest that the poet has not had the best experience with friendship. Southey refers to the books as his “never-failing friends” which can be interpreted as company that will never turn their backs on him. Referring to the age of the books as “old”, he may be referring to the wisdom that is gained over time, which is what he takes his lessons from, as mentioned previously. It alludes to the relief he finds in them that is mentioned later on. The alliteration of “mighty mind” creates a sense of calmness and soothing. ![]() The word “mighty” implies that he puts them on a pedestal, which is supported by the fact that he learns lessons of life from them as it is usual for people to look up to those they learn from. They are the “mighty minds of old” and his “never-failing friends”, a presence in his life that he feels will never turn on him. His deep admiration for the books is also shown by the words he uses to describe them. The capitalisation of the term “the Dead”, making it a proper noun puts emphasis on how important they are to him, that they are not just mundane to him. Using different language techniques as well as punctuation, he shows the depth of emotion he feels towards them. His love for his books can be vividly felt all throughout the poem. With this statement being the one to end the second and third stanza, where he talks about his experience with them, it gives the impression that he has learnt all that he can from them and alludes to the end of his time with them. The enjambment used in these two lines create a sense of suspense for the reader as they are eager to find out what did the poet “seek and find”. His experience with them comes to an end when he says “from their lessons seek and find/Instruction with an humble mind” where he recognises the extent to which they have changed his life. The two phrases are of similar structure, creating a sense of lightness within the poem due to the easy rhythm. In this, his unwavering belief that the books can soothe the sting of the harsh realities of life and that they will ‘celebrate’ his joy with him can be seen. He takes “delight in weal” and seeks “relief in woe” when he is with them. He reveals why he spent so much time around them in the first two lines of the second stanza. Southey focuses a large portion of the poem on his experience with his beloved books, which helps the reader understand his deep feelings towards them. On the other hand, if the term “the Dead” really refers to his old books, the meaning changes slightly in that the reader sees that he does not wish to leave them behind after all and that he hopes wherever he goes, he will be able to join them once again, eliciting hope for their reunion. However it also shows that the poet does not wish to leave “the Dead” behind, that he wishes to join them which may bring a satisfying sense of reunion to the reader. The word “anon” used echoes a sense of hope from the poet which could be said to have a negative undertone in which he is actually wishing for death – which dims the mood of the poem as a whole. This insinuates that the poet feels ready to die and seems to acknowledge a life lived well. Whichever interpretation is chosen by the reader, the theme of death is prevalent in the form of actual death or the death of a relationship.Īnother significant point where death is brought up is the first and second line in the last stanza which reads “anon/My place with them will be” with “place” referring to “with the Dead”.
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