Poetry · Chapter
LVI explained
The speaker calls upon the muse of tragedy, Melpomene, to sound mournfully as Isabel withers toward death, likened to a palm tree cut down for its balm.
What happens
The speaker calls upon the muse of tragedy, Melpomene, to sound mournfully as Isabel withers toward death, likened to a palm tree cut down for its balm.
Themes in this chapter
Sorrow and Melancholy
The chapter invokes the muse of tragedy and dwells on Isabel's impending death with mournful tones.
Mortality and the Sublime
Isabel's withering and death are presented with a sublime, tragic grandeur.
Characters to notice
- Isabel
Isabel is withering toward death, compared to a palm cut for its balm.
Key passages
“Moan hither, all ye syllables of woe, From the deep throat of sad Melpomene!”
Come, all words of sorrow, from the profound voice of the tragic muse Melpomene.
The speaker calls on the muse of tragedy to express grief.
“For simple Isabel is soon to be Among the dead: She withers, like a palm Cut by an Indian for its juicy balm.”
For innocent Isabel will soon die; she fades away like a palm tree felled by an Indian for its sap.
Isabel's decline is compared to a palm tree cut down for its valuable balm.