The poem expresses the rigidity of the brevity of life and necessity of passion in the face of death by its use of the villanelle structure, diction and sounds, and imagery. Thomas also uses the allusion “sad height,” which refers to the biblical valley of death that is found in Psalm 23:4. This psalm reads, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” While this psalm is calm and peaceful, the poem is angry and urgent. One interpretation of this allusion is that it served as a source of comfort, but it makes the reader question, did Thomas reference this psalm to calm his father or
The poem expresses the rigidity of the brevity of life and necessity of passion in the face of death by its use of the villanelle structure, diction and sounds, and imagery. Thomas also uses the allusion “sad height,” which refers to the biblical valley of death that is found in Psalm 23:4. This psalm reads, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” While this psalm is calm and peaceful, the poem is angry and urgent. One interpretation of this allusion is that it served as a source of comfort, but it makes the reader question, did Thomas reference this psalm to calm his father or