Requiescat Tread lightly, she is near Under the snow…
“Requiescat Tread lightly, she is near Under the snow, Speak gently, she can hear The daisies grow. All her bright golden hair Tarnished with rust, She that was young and fair Fallen to dust. Lily-like, white as snow, She hardly knew She was a woman, so Sweetly she grew. Coffin-board, heavy stone, Lie on her breast, I vex my heart alone She is at rest. Peace, Peace, she cannot hear Lyre or sonnet, All my life’s buried here, Heap earth upon it.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The poem mourns a young woman who has died, describing her fragile beauty and the speaker’s grief while urging gentle care for her memory.
In simple terms: A lament for a dead woman, highlighting her delicate nature and the speaker’s sorrow.
Key Takeaway
Honor her memory with gentle reverence.
Themes
grief
memory
beauty
loss
gentleness
Mood
somber
reflective
melancholic
Type
poetic
elegiac
lament.
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- personal mourning
- memorial poetry
- comforting the bereaved
Key Concepts
mortality
ephemerality
lamentation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we honor those we have lost?
- What does gentle care mean in mourning?
A Different Perspective
The poem’s abstract language may obscure concrete actions for the living.