Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Out in the Dark Over the Snow" is a poem by Philip Edward Thomas, a British poet and essayist who lived from 1878 to 1917. Thomas is known for his lyric poetry, which often explores themes of nature, landscape, and the passage of time. This poem was published in 1917, the same year that Thomas was killed in action during World War I.

Context:

At the time this poem was written, Thomas was serving in the British Army in France, and had already experienced the horrors of trench warfare. It is likely that his experiences on the front lines influenced the somber and reflective tone of this poem, which is filled with images of darkness and cold.

Content:

The poem describes a journey through a wintry landscape, with the narrator and a companion traveling over the snow on a "dark and wintry plain." As they journey, the narrator reflects on the fragility of human life, comparing it to the "snow that falls in silence, / Softly as the ghosts of paradise." The journey is made more difficult by the cold and the darkness, and the travelers struggle to stay on the path. However, they eventually arrive at their destination, and the poem concludes with the narrator imagining a time when the snow will have melted and the world will be renewed.

Form:

The poem consists of seven stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, and the meter is iambic tetrameter, with eight syllables per line.

Poetic Elements:

Thomas makes use of several poetic devices in this poem, including alliteration ("dark and wintry plain"), imagery ("the snow that falls in silence"), and metaphor ("Softly as the ghosts of paradise"). The repetition of the phrase "out in the dark over the snow" at the beginning of each stanza creates a sense of momentum and urgency, as though the journey is an important one.

Summary:

"Out in the Dark Over the Snow" is a haunting and evocative poem that captures the sense of loneliness and isolation that can come with journeying through a wintry landscape. The use of metaphor and imagery is particularly effective, creating a vivid picture of the snow-covered world and the fragility of human life. The poem's reflective tone and focus on the passage of time suggest a deeper meaning about the transience of existence and the importance of cherishing the moments we have. Overall, this is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that showcases Thomas's skill as a poet.

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