Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Under the wide and starry sky" is the first stanza of the poem "Requiem" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The poem is a meditation on the theme of mortality and the passage of time. The first stanza sets the scene for the poem, with the speaker imagining himself lying in a grave under the open sky. The image of the wide and starry sky suggests a sense of awe and wonder at the vastness and beauty of the natural world, and the speaker's willingness to embrace death as a natural part of the human experience. The phrase "Dig the grave and let me lie" suggests a sense of acceptance and resignation in the face of mortality, while the final line, "And I laid me down with a will," suggests a sense of purpose and determination in the face of death. Overall, the first stanza of "Requiem" is a powerful and moving meditation on the themes of mortality and the enduring power of the natural world to inspire and comfort us in the face of life's challenges and uncertainties