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Poetry · Chapter
XII explained
The narrator refuses to sing a requiem for the departed, instead sending them off with a joyful paean from ancient times.
What happens
The narrator refuses to sing a requiem for the departed, instead sending them off with a joyful paean from ancient times.
Themes in this chapter
Death and Mortality
The chapter deals with the departure of a soul, rejecting a mournful requiem in favor of a celebratory paean.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
The speaker addresses the departed, choosing a paean over a requiem.
Key passages
“Therefore, to thee this night I will no requiem raise, But waft thee on thy flight, With a Paean of old days.”
So tonight I will not sing a funeral hymn for you, but instead send you off with an ancient song of triumph.
The speaker chooses celebration over mourning for the departed.