“Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London” Summary

“Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London” Themes

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  The Power of Love

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• 

  Accepting Death

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London”

• Lines 1-3

  Thou who dost all my worldly thoughts employ,
  Thou pleasing source of all my earthly joy,
  Thou tenderest husband and thou dearest friend,

  

  

  

  

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• Line 4

  To thee this first, this last adieu I send!

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 5-6

  At length the conqueror death asserts his right,
  And will for ever veil me from thy sight;

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 7-8

  He woos me to him with a cheerful grace,
  And not one terror clouds his meagre face;

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-12

  He promises a lasting rest from pain,
  And shows that all life’s fleeting joys are vain;
  Th’ eternal scenes of heaven he sets in view,
  And tells me that no other joys are true.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 13-14

  But love, fond love, would yet resist his power,
  Would fain awhile defer the parting hour;

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 15-16

  He brings thy mourning image to my eyes,
  And would obstruct my journey to the skies.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 17-20

  But say, thou dearest, thou unwearied friend!
  Say, should’st thou grieve to see my sorrows end?
  Thou know’st a painful pilgrimage I’ve past;
  And should’st thou grieve that rest is come at last?

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 21-22

  Rather rejoice to see me shake off life,
  And die as I have liv’d, thy faithful wife.

  

  

  

  

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“Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Apostrophe

  

  

  

  

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• Anaphora

  

  

  

  

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• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

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• Aporia

  

  

  

  

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• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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• Personification

  

  

  

  

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• Parallelism

  

  

  

  

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• Juxtaposition

  

  

  

  

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• Caesura

  

  

  

  

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“Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Employ
• Adieu
• Woos
• Meagre
• Vain
• Fain
• Pilgrimage

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London” Speaker

“Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London”

More “Verses written on her death-bed at Bath to her husband in London” Resources

• External Resources

  • Mary Monck's Biography — Read what little there is to know about the author, Mary Monck.

  • City of Bath — Read about the history of Bath, the city where Monck wrote "Verses," now a UNESCO heritage site.

  • "Verses" Read Aloud — Listen to a reading of "Verses."

  • Poems by Eminent Ladies — Read Monck's "Verses" in context (on page 195) in the volume of its original publication.