# Reminded explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The narrator sits at twilight, reading a book by a long-dead author, lost in thought and grief. A sudden fear seizes him as he reads the words 'Poor Tom's a-cold,' feeling the dead hand reaching from the page, and he questions why God permits such bitter reminders of mortality and chance.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Regret

The narrator confronts the dead hand of an author and the chilling phrase 'Poor Tom's a-cold,' evoking grief and the weight of past bitterness.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The narrator's mind wanders witlessly through the book, unaware of the wealth of thought, until a sudden fear breaks the dream and reveals a deeper truth.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The narrator, reading a book by a dead hand, is struck by the phrase 'Poor Tom's a-cold' and reflects on grief and the cruelty of chance.

## Key lines

> Poor Tom’s a-cold!

The phrase 'Poor Tom is cold' is a line from Shakespeare's King Lear, spoken by the mad king, and here it strikes the narrator as a chilling reminder of mortality and suffering.

_The narrator reads this line and feels the dead hand of the author reaching out, causing him to question the cruelty of fate._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/reminded
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters