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The slumber of the speaker's spirit was a symbol of the denial and delusion of the speaker. Elaborate. (A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal)
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The slumber of the speaker’s spirit was a symbol of the denial and delusion of the speaker in the poem, A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal, because it:
- Shows that the speaker was unable to accept the reality of his beloved’s death, and preferred to live in a state of unconsciousness and ignorance. He says that a slumber did his spirit seal, which means that his mind was closed off from the truth and the pain. He had no human fears, which means that he did not face the natural and inevitable fear of losing someone he loved.
- Suggests that the speaker had an idealized and unrealistic view of his beloved, and did not recognize her as a mortal and vulnerable human being. He says that she seemed a thing that could not feel the touch of earthly years, which means that he thought of her as a perfect and immortal creature, who was unaffected by time and age. He did not see her as a person who had a life and a history of her own, but as an object of his affection and admiration.
- Contrasts with the harsh and cruel reality of his beloved’s fate, and reveals the speaker’s shock and despair when he finally realizes what has happened to her. He says that no motion has she now, no force; she neither hears nor sees; rolled round in earth’s diurnal course, with rocks, and stones, and trees, which means that she is dead and buried, and has become a part of nature. He uses cold and hard words, such as motion, force, rocks, and stones, to describe her condition, which shows how different it is from his previous perception of her. He also uses the word rolled, which implies that she has no control or choice over her destiny, and that she is subject to the laws of nature.
Step-by-step explanation of the answer:
To answer this question, you need to:
- Read the poem carefully and understand the meaning and the theme of the poem. The poem is about the speaker’s feelings and memories of his beloved, who has died and become a part of nature. The theme of the poem is the contrast and conflict between the speaker’s illusion and reality, and the power and pain of love and loss. 🌹
- Identify and explain how the slumber of the speaker’s spirit was a symbol of the denial and delusion of the speaker in the poem, and how it affects the speaker’s mood and tone. You can use examples and quotes from the poem to support your points. The slumber of the speaker’s spirit was a symbol of the denial and delusion of the speaker in the poem by showing his inability to accept and cope with his beloved’s death, his idealized and unrealistic view of his beloved, and his contrast and conflict with the harsh and cruel reality of his beloved’s fate. This affects the speaker’s mood and tone by making him feel numb, ignorant, and deluded in the first stanza, and shocked, devastated, and hopeless in the second stanza. 🙁
- Conclude your answer by summarizing the main points and restating the question. You can also give your opinion or evaluation of the poem, and how it affected you as a reader. You can say something like this: In conclusion, the slumber of the speaker’s spirit was a symbol of the denial and delusion of the speaker in the poem, A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal, by revealing his contrast and conflict between his illusion and reality, and his power and pain of love and loss. I think this is a very sad and moving poem that shows the complexity and the tragedy of the human condition. 😢
