Death and Life

Summary

The poem portrays the inevitability and impartial nature of death using the metaphor of frost killing flowers. It illustrates how frost, described as a blond assassin, executes its role without emotion, cutting down the vibrant life of the flower effortlessly. This event is depicted as a natural, unemotional occurrence, lacking surprise or dismay. Nature's continuity is emphasized by the sun's indifferent routine of marking time for a dispassionate divine observer, suggesting a sense of natural order and acceptance. The poem reflects on themes of mortality, the transient nature of life, and the detachment of the universe from individual experiences.

Read Online

Apparently with no surprise
To any happy flower,
The frost beheads it at its play
In accidental power.
The blond assassin passes on,
The sun proceeds unmoved
To measure off another day
For an approving God.