‘Verses Written on Her

Death-bed at Bath to Her

Husband in London’
Mary Monck (‘Marinda’)
Theme and Tone

 Aging love of death (theme)

 Loveand faithfulness of marital love
(theme)
 Calm, peaceful and acceptance (tone)
Structure

 One stanza, 11 couplets (22 lines)

 Orderlynature of life, how death must
warp us one day eventually
 Deathis actually a source of ease for her
rather than something she attempts to
escape.
 Assonance – rhythm of all joys and sorrows
she experiences is restricted to the
confinements of the current world we are
in. Vaguely ponders over such existential
ideas.

THOU who dost all my worldly thoughts employ,

Thou pleasing source of all my earthly joy,
Thou tenderest husband and thou dearest friend,
To thee this first, this last adieu I send!

Double Connotation - envisions someone

kind and caring (admiration). Engage with
sexually and emotionally, therefore
departing from this world hurts her the
most because of how she must leave her
husband behind.
 Personification - death envelopes and
ultimately rules a person. No one can
escape. Respects the idea of death, almost
embraces it and respects the eventual
occurrence of it, pondering over their
eventual destiny.

At length the conqueror death asserts his right, Metaphor – death as a

mask, abstract, doesn’t
And will for ever veil me from thy sight; try to hide away from it.
He wooes me to him with a cheerful grace,
Double Connotation -
And not one terror clouds his meagre face;
death in a positive and
optimistic light
Metaphor – no disguise
for death, acceptance.
Personifies death as
unfulfilled
 Metaphor – couplet is oxymoronic. All joys are
restricted to the confinements of this world. What
you attain in life stays there, not carried on through
death

He promises a lasting rest from pain,

And shews that all life’s fleeting joys are vain;
Th’ eternal scenes of heaven he sets in view,
And tells me that no other joys are true.

Powerful Imagery –
death exemplified,
leave everything
behind in life
 Anaphora – love may overrule certain
worldly powers, emphasises the power
of her love for her husband. ‘fond’ is
love in good faith and true love

But love, fond love, would yet resist his power, Metaphor – husband
is presenting her
Woud fain awhile defer the parting hour; with his death
He brings thy mourning image to my eyes,
And would obstruct my journey to the skies.

Metaphor – death is obstructing her love

for husband, would choose a temporary
world of love than heaven. Must forego
love so husband can die peacefully
 Asyndeton and Anaphora –
highlights own insecurities.
Allows husband to face death

But say, thou dearest, thou unwearied friend!

Say, should’st thou grieve to see my sorrows end?
Thou know’st a painful pilgrimage I’ve past;
And should’st thou grieve that rest is come at last?

Alliteration - life is a holy and

spiritual journey with
multiple ups and downs.
Would rather husband enjoy
his time, and not pity her
Rather rejoice to see me shake off life,
And die as I have liv’d, thy faithful wife.

Rhyming Couplet - life is something that is

temporarily attached onto someone’s soul
and the real life is yet to begin. Reasserts
love, won’t give up title of ‘wife’