The Going

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General

- Cyclical Structure though he accepts every moving on

- about loss, regret and acceptance

- imagery of darkness - haunting presence in his mind

- moving as he loves his wife but she is gone

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1st Stanza

'Why did you give not hint that night'

- 'why' repeated every other stanza = shows despair = 'why' does death exist?

- 'night' links to 'morrow's dawn' = metaphorical for circle of life = emphasises how quick she is gone

- contrast between 'quickly' and 'calmly' creates sense of ease

'indifferent' - should have thought of him = futile = evokes level of greif

'you' - implys that it was her fault = resentment

'where I could not follow with wing of a swallow'

- short lines = abrupt 

- 'wing' is angelic not morbid

'to gain one glimpse of you...'

- monosyballic = reflect need for even a fleeting glance

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2nd Stanza

'softest call'

- longing sensuality

'harden upon the wall'

- bitter harsh = contrasts 'softest call' creating contrast between past and present

'unmoved, unknowing'

- stresses lack of feeling = 'un' at beginning of line

'great going'

- alliteration - momentous ocassion 

'that moment, and altered all'

- emphasises impact on life = changed perspective

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3rd Stanza

'why do you make me leave the house'

- still has power

'till in darkening dankness'

- mourning = grotesque death

- 'dankness' = romantic contrast with grotesque imagery = plosive = harsh words = anger'

'blankness'

- vastness of nothingness

'sickens me'

- anger and desperation 

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4th Stanza

'you were she who abode' 

- repition of 'you' emphasises importance in life

'red-vined rocks'

- body? life can't last forever

'swan-necked'

- beauty and grace = romance

'eye me'

- sounds like 'aye me' = sigh of lover = romance = remenissant

'life unrolled us'

- subject of line = personification = not in control 

- tone changes to sentimental and beauty = no longer bitter

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5th Stanza

'we...your'

- repition makes it sound conversational

'we might'

- enjambment reflected 

- modal = regretfullness

'bright spring weather'

- pathetic fallacy = happiness

'those places that once we visited'

- estranged = not happy anymore

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6th Stanza

'well, well' = resegnation 

'unchangeable' - fragment = all emotions spent

'it must go' - monosyballic = no more energy = tired of feeling

'i seem but a dead man' - whole life over = emotionless

'to sink down soon' - tipping point = might fall = tired = too much for him

'...' - emotional breakdown

'swift-feeling' - links to 1st stanza = happened so fast

caezuras and puncuation

- make poem bitty and fragmented 

- shows it is becoming too much for him = break down

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