The Widow's Lament in Springtime Isolation Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line)

Quote #4

that in the meadows,
at the edge of the heavy woods
in the distance, he saw
trees of white flowers. (21-24)

All these descriptive clauses ("in the meadows, at the edge […]") delay our arrival at the actual image, which is of a place that was only seen from a distance, by someone else, and then told to our speaker. That seems pretty indirect to Shmoop. There are so many layers of separation here we don't know where to begin. But, somehow, we feel like that distance is exactly what appeals to our speaker.

Quote #5

I feel that I would like
to go there
and fall into those flowers
and sink into the marsh near them. (25-28)

If we look at it a little differently, we might conclude that this ending is not only about escape or relief through death, though it most certainly is that, too. It's also about a reunion, as she imagines joining her body to the natural world and maybe even joining her husband in death.