If He Were Living Dare I Ask
poem 734
If He Were Living Dare I Ask - meaning Summary
Fear of Confronting Loss
The speaker nervously considers whether to ask if a man is alive or dead, repeatedly circling the question rather than confronting it. She imagines the passage of time and delicately tests memories for cracks, avoiding direct mention of graves. Finally she forces the issue and learns he is dead, a revelation that leaves her emotionally confined and diminished. The poem explores hesitation, fear of loss, and the self-protective avoidance of painful truth.
Read Complete AnalysesIf He were living dare I ask And how if He be dead And so around the Words I went Of meeting them afraid I hinted Changes Lapse of Time The Surfaces of Years I touched with Caution lest they crack And show me to my fears Reverted to adjoining Lives Adroitly turning out Wherever I suspected Graves ‘Twas prudenter I thought And He I pushed with sudden force In face of the Suspense Was buried Buried! He! My Life just holds the Trench
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