Critical Appreciation of The Poem An Epitaph

Critical Appreciation of The Poem An Epitaph

Question 1.
Write down a critical appreciation of An Epitaph.
Answer:
There is a tradition in European countries to inscribe short verses on a stone tablet or on the cover of a grave in which there is a summing-up of the personality of the dead person. It is not a biographical sketch; it is a poignant write-up on chief qualities of the person.

Walter de la Mare who is known for his interesting poems on themes of childhood interests and the supernatural has written this poem about a beautiful woman who is no more. The woman was renowned for her beauty and was very popular in the west country. The poet however is skeptical of the lasting fame of the woman. Beauty is not a lasting thing, being associated with youth. As young age vanishes beauty also vanishes.

The poem has clearly a didactic strain. The poet wants beautiful women to possess noble qualities of mind and heart which will be the cause of their being remembered for a long time. There is however a grace and simplicity about the poem which gives it a Wordsworthian aura.

Bihar Board Class 12th English Important Questions