Transcript James Russell Lowell - Christian Brothers High School

James Russell Lowell
1819-1891
Background
• Lowell lost three of his four children at the height
of his literary fame.
– In the mid-1800s, this was not uncommon.
– 1/3 of children born in urban areas died before the
age of 21 due to diseases such as measles,
diphtheria, and small pox
• Wrote “The First Snow-Fall” for one of his
daughters
– The child Mabel in the poem is his lone living
daughter
“The First Snow-Fall”
• Poem’s title refers to the first snow fall
since the death of his daughter
• Stanzas 1-4 describe the overnight fall of
snow on the land, the trees, the shed, and
the fence.
• It is in the fifth stanza that the speaker
introduces the image of a snow-covered
graveyard.
“The First Snow-Fall” (cont.)
• In the seventh stanza, the reader can infer
that the “first great sorrow” was the death
of his child.
• In the ninth stanza, the reader sees the
use of what could be considered figurative
language.
– Lines 34-36 – “The snow that husheth all, /
Darling, the merciful Father / Alone can make
it fall!”
• Death results from God’s will.
Theme
• Time blurs the sharpness of grief.
– Implied through the imagery of the gradually
falling snow
– Time heals.
The Snow
• Lowell uses alternate words for snow that
have positive connotations.
– “ermine too dear for an earl”
– “pearl”
– “sheds new roofed with Carrara
– “stiff rails softened to swan’s down
The Snow (cont.)
• Snow = the ability to find comfort over the
course of time
• Makes things softer, quieter, and more
beautiful
• Creates a silent, white world
The Snow (cont.)
• The snow conveys a number of feelings/ideas in
the poem.
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Peacefulness (line 1-4)
Beauty (lines 5-8)
Change (lines 9-12)
Perseverance (line 14)
Compassion (lines 17-20)
Patience (lines 29-32)
Holiness (lines 33-36)
Protectiveness (lines 17-29; 40)
View of Death
• Lowell views death in a very serious and
respectful manner.
• He sees this death as sad, and this is very
sacred to him.
• However, he views all these events as
God’s work/will.