I have a Rendezvous with Death
Alan Seeger
I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air-
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath-
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flower appear.
God knows ‘twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear . . .
But I’ve a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.
- Type of
Poetry
The poem I have a Rendezvous
with Death is a narrative poem. It because that poem tell the reader
about someone’s experience who has the meeting with the death. It showed by the
repitition of the sentence ‘I have a Rendezvous with Death’ till four times. In
addition, from the first line till the end line telling about the process of
his/her meeting with death. Until the latest line he/she said that he/she
shouldn’t fail his/her rendezvous with the death.
- Connotation
and Denotation
- Connotation
- When Spring comes
back with rustling shade
- rustling
shade : the protection,
safe.
- When Spring brings
back blue days and fair.
- blue
days : happiness
- fair : quiet
- And lead me into
his dark land
- Where love throbs
out in blissful sleep
- Denotation
|
No.
|
Words
|
Meaning
|
|
1.
|
Rendezvous
|
Meet at
an arranged time and place.
|
|
2.
|
Death
|
End of
life; state of being dead.
|
|
3.
|
Dispute
|
Question
whether something is true and valid.
|
|
4.
|
Barricade
|
Barrier
of objects built to block a stree=t, etc.
|
|
5.
|
Come
back
|
Return
|
|
6.
|
Blossom
|
A flower
or a mass of flowers, especially on a fruit tree or bush.
|
|
7.
|
Fill
|
Become
or make something full of something.
|
|
8.
|
Bring
back
|
To
return something/somebody.
|
|
9.
|
Lead
|
Go with
or in front of a person or an animal to show the way.
|
|
10.
|
Close
|
(Cause
something to) shut.
|
|
11.
|
Quench
|
Put out
a fire.
|
|
12.
|
Pass
|
To be
given to another person after first belonging to somebody else, especially
after the first person has died.
|
|
13.
|
Scarred
|
To spoil
the appearance of something.
|
|
14.
|
Slope
|
Area of
land that is part of a mountain or hill.
|
|
15.
|
Battered
|
Out of
shape because of old age, great use, etc.
|
|
16.
|
Hill
|
Area of
high land, not as high as a mountain.
|
|
17.
|
Come
round
|
Become
conscious again.
|
|
18.
|
Meadow-flowers
|
The
field of flowers grass.
|
|
19.
|
Know
|
Realize,
understand or be aware of something.
|
|
20.
|
Deep
|
Far down
or in something.
|
|
21.
|
Pillowed
|
Rest
something, especially your head, on an object.
|
|
22.
|
Silk
|
(material
made from) fine, soft thread produced by silkworms.
|
|
23.
|
Scented
|
Give
something a particular, pleasant smell.
|
|
24.
|
Pulse
|
Regular
beating of the arteries as the blood is plumped through them.
|
|
25.
|
Breath
|
Air
taken into and sent out of the lungs.
|
|
26.
|
Hushed
|
Silence
|
|
27.
|
Awakening
|
Act of
realizing something.
|
|
28.
|
Midnight
|
12
o’clock in the middle of night.
|
|
29.
|
Flaming
town
|
The
violent town
|
|
30.
|
Trips
|
Journey
to a place and back again, especially for pleasure.
|
|
31.
|
Pledged
word
|
Serious
promise.
|
|
32.
|
True
|
Not
straight or in the correct position.
|
|
33.
|
Fail
|
Not do
something.
|
- Imagery
I have a rendezvous with Death Kinesthetic Imagery
At some disputed barricade, Organic Imagery
When Spring comes back with rustling shade Organic Imagery
And apple-blossoms fill the air- Olfactory Imagery
I have a rendezvous with Death Kinesthetic Imagery
When Spring brings back blue days and fair. Organic Imagery
It may be he shall take my hand Organic Imagery
And lead me into his dark land Organic Imagery
And close my eyes and quench my breath- Organic Imagery
It may be I shall pass him still. Organic Imagery
I have a rendezvous with Death Kinesthetic Imagery
On some scarred slope of battered hill, Organic Imagery
When Spring comes round again this year Organic Imagery
And the first meadow-flower appear. Visual Imagery
God knows ‘twere better to be deep Organic Imagery
Pillowed in silk and scented down, Organic Imagery
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep, Organic Imagery
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath, Organic Imagery
Where hushed awakenings are dear . . . Organic Imagery
But I’ve a rendezvous with Death Kinesthetic Imagery
At midnight in some flaming town, Visual Imagery
When Spring trips north again this year, Organic Imagery
And I to my pledged word am true, Organic Imagery
I shall not fail that rendezvous. Organic Imagery
- Figurative
Language
- It may be he shall
take my hand
(Personification)
There is only one figurative language in that poem. That is
the 7th line (It may be he shall take my
hand). In that sentence, the word he
represents of the death. In addition,
the word death is the nonhuman/thing and
get the human’s attributes (It may be he shall take
my hand). And for the next line (8th line) the sentence also represents
about the abilyty of death to lead
him/her (the speaker) into the death’s dark land.
- Musical
Devices
- Alliteration
- When Spring brings back
blue days and fair.
- And lead me into his dark land
- On some scarred
slope of battered hill,
- And the first meadow-flowers appear.
- God knows ‘twere better to be deep
- Assonance
- When Spring comes back with rustling shade
- When Spring brings back blue days
and fair.
- It may be he shall take my
hand
- And close my eyes and quench my breath-
- It may be I shall
pass him still.
- Pillowed in
silk and scented down,
- Where love throbs
out in
blissful sleep,
- At midnight in some flaming
town,
- When Spring trips north again this year,
- Consonance
- At some disputed barricade,
- When Spring comes back with rustling shade
- And lead me into his dark land
- It may be I shall pass him still.
- On some scarred slope of battered hill,
- Where hushed
awakenings are
dear . . .
- I shall not fail that rendezvous.
- Combination
- Rhyme
(Assonance-Consonance)
- Internal
Rhyme
- When Spring comes back with rustling shade
I have a rendezvous with Death a
At some disputed barricade, b
When Spring comes back with rustling shade b
And apple-blossoms fill the air- c
I have a rendezvous with Death a
When Spring brings back blue days and fair. c
It may be he shall take my hand a
And lead me into his dark land a
And close my eyes and quench my breath- b
It may be I shall pass him still. c
I have a rendezvous with Death b
On some scarred slope of battered hill, c
When Spring comes round again this year d
And the first meadow-flower appear. d
God knows ‘twere better to be deep a
Pillowed in silk and scented down, b
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep, a
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath, c
Where hushed awakenings are dear . . . d
But I’ve a rendezvous with Death c
At midnight in some flaming town, b
When Spring trips north again this year, d
And I to my pledged word am true, e
I shall not fail that rendezvous. f
- Approximate
- At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
- And apple-blossoms
fill the air-
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
- It may be he shall
take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
- And close my eyes
and quench my breath-
I have a rendezvous with Death
- It may be I shall
pass him still.
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
- When Spring comes
round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.
- God knows ‘twere
better to be deep
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep,
- Pillowed in silk
and scented down,
At midnight in someflaming town,
- Where hushed
awakenings are dear .
. .
When Spring trips north again this year,
- Refrain
- I
have a rendezvous with Death (1st line)
I have a rendezvous with
Death (5th line)
I have a rendezvous with
Death (11th line)
But I’ve a rendezvous with
Death (20th line)
- At some disputed
barricade, (2nd
line)
At midnight in some
flaming town, (21st line)
- At some disputed
barricade, (2nd
line)
On some scarred slope
of battered hill (12th line)
At midnight in some
flaming town, (21st line)
- When
Spring
comes back with rustling shade (3rd line)
When Spring brings back
blue days and fair. (6th line)
When Spring comes round
again this year (13th line)
When Spring trips north
again this year, (22nd line)
- When Spring comes back with rustling
shade (3rd line)
When Spring comes round
again this year (13th line)
- And apple-blossoms
fill the air- (4th
line)
And lead me into his
dark land (8th line)
And close my eyes and
quench my breath- (9th line)
And the first
meadow-flowers appear. (14th line)
And I to my pledged
word am true, (23th line)
- When Spring brings
back blue days and fair. (6th
line)
And close my eyes and
quench my breath- (9th line)
Pillowed in silk and
scented down, (16th line)
Pulse nigh to pulse, and
breath to breath, (18th line)
- It
may be
he shall take my hand
(7th line)
It may be I shall pass him still. (10th line)
- It may be he shall
take my hand
(7th line)
And close my eyes and
quench my breath- (9th line)
And I to my pledged
word am true, (23th line)
- It may be I shall pass him
still. (10th
line)
And I to my pledged
word am true, (23th line)
I shall not fail that
rendezvous (24th line)
- When Spring comes
round again this year (13th
line)
When Spring trips north again
this year, (22nd line)
- Where love throbs out in
blissful sleep, (17th line)
Where hushed awakenings
are dear . . . (19th line)
- Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath, (18th line)
- Rhythm
and Meter
This poem have 24 lines and 3 stanza so this poem called by
Triplet.
^ / ^ / ^ / ^ /
I have | a ren|dezvous
| with Death
Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ / ^ /
At some | disput|ed
bar|ricade,
Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ /
^ / ^ /
When Spring |
comes back | with rustl|ing shade Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ / ^ /
And ap|ple-blos|soms
fill | the air- Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ / ^ /
I have | a ren|dezvous
| with Death
Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^
/ ^ / ^
/
When Spring |
brings back | blue days | and
fair. Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^
/ ^ /
It may | be he |
shall take | my hand Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ /
^ /
And lead | me in|to
his | dark land Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ /
^ / ^ /
And close | my eyes |
and quench | my breath- Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ /
^ /
It may | be I |
shall pass | him still. Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ / ^ /
I have | a ren|dezvous
| with Death
Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ /
^ / ^ /
On some | scarred slope
| of bat|tered hill, Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^
/ ^ / ^ /
When Spring |
comes round | again | this
year Iambic Tetrameter
^ ^ / ^ ^ / ^ ^ /
And the first |
meadow-flo|wer appear. Anapestic Trimeter
^ ^ / ^ ^ / ^ ^ /
God knows ‘t|were
better | to be deep Anapestic Trimeter
^ / ^ / ^
/ ^ /
Pillowed | in silk |
and scent|ed down, Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ /
^ / ^ /
Where love | throbs out |
in bliss|ful sleep, Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ /
^ / ^ /
Pulse nigh | to pulse, |
and breath | to breath, Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ /
^ /
Where hushed |
awa|kenings | are dear . . . Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ /
^ /
But I’ve | a ren|dezvous
| with Death
Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^
/ ^ /
At mid|night in |
some flam|ing town, Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^
/ ^ / ^ /
When Spring |
trips north | again | this
year, Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^
/ ^ /
And I | to my |
pledged word | am true, Iambic Tetrameter
^ / ^ / ^ /
^ /
I shall | not fail |
that ren|dezvous. Iambic Tetrameter
- Tone and
Theme
I have a rendezvous with Death frightened
At some disputed barricade, frightened
When Spring comes back with rustling shade calm
And apple-blossoms fill the air- calm
I have a rendezvous with Death frightened
When Spring brings back blue days and fair. calm
It may be he shall take my hand frightened
And lead me into his dark land frightened
And close my eyes and quench my breath- frightened
It may be I shall pass him still. frightened
I have a rendezvous with Death frightened
On some scarred slope of battered hill, frightened
When Spring comes round again this year calm
And the first meadow-flower appear. calm
God knows ‘twere better to be deep calm
Pillowed in silk and scented down, calm
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep, calm
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath, calm
Where hushed awakenings are dear . . . calm
But I’ve a rendezvous with Death frightened
At midnight in some flaming town, frightened
When Spring trips north again this year, calm
And I to my pledged word am true, calm
I shall not fail that rendezvous. calm
The theme of that poem is death. It showed in some lines and
presented by repetition of the sentence I have
a randezvous with death.
