“A Grammarian's Fune

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ANALYSIS
About the poem

 "A Grammarian's Funeral," which was published in Men and Women in 1855
 A Grammarian’s Funeral is 148 line poem with a consistent rhyme scheme of
ababcdcdefefghgh following the same pattern till the end.

 It is a classic literary theme that the two cannot be simultaneously chosen.

 The speaker of this poem is a disciple of an accomplished grammarian who has
recently died.
 The speaker gives a eulogy for their master, telling how "he lived nameless“ in
pursuit of mastering his studies, which focused on Greek grammar.
Dramatic Monologue

 Dramatic Monologue is a poem with a speaker who is clearly separate from the
poet, who speaks to an implied audience that, while silent, remains clearly present
in the scene. (This implied audience distinguishes the dramatic monologue from
the soliloquy—a form also used by Browning—in which the speaker does not
address any specific listener, rather musing aloud to him or herself).
  A Grammarian’s Funeral is a dramatic monologue set in shortly after the
renaissance in Europe.
 A mourning poem sung by a disciple of a noble grammarian, who passed away
after spending whole of life in learning new things.
 The poem is about the life history of the grammarian as seen by the disciple. It is
in the form of a movement from plains to the hilltop, where they plan to burry the
grammarian.
 They walk in darkness towards the mountain and during the walk the
grammarian’s disciple sketches (says) the biography and the achievements of his
master.
 The grammarian’s disciples wish their master should be buried in the mountain
where there is culture and learning.
 The mountain here represents greatness and higher thoughts. It is a place where
the sun shines first and later it passes down.
 The grammarian spent all his young age reading and gaining knowledge. He was
interested in knowing the mystery of world and human life.
 Even in his old age, he wanted to know the views of poets and other great
scholars.
 He believed in enjoying life after death (the eternal life). He kept reading books,
without a stop. After reading books, he wished to read the commentaries and
criticism of some books. He wished to read until the last minute of his life.
 The grammarian before beginning to live his life planned for his life. The grammarian
fully believed in God and thereby he planned for his happy life, after death. Ordinary
men would say that time keeps moving and they would start enjoying their life but the
grammarian believed in life after death and in the concept that soul has no end.
 He was not narrow in his thoughts. He did not have small ambitions. He did not draw a
small circle around him. Only ordinary men would believe in short gains and profits and
they would lose the bargain during the Judgment day.

 The poem is an example of Browning’s skill of describing characters through dramatic

monologue.