The narrator is depicted as someone who is hardened to loss and death, Hopkins does this by “As the heart grows older It will come to such sights colder” here the narrator is saying as the heart gets older it will be exposed to death. Hopkins shows that the narrator is hardened by saying he will not “spare a sigh”. Hopkins hints at a terrible truth; that people must die, like the leaves, but he never states it directly, he does this by the last two lines, “It is the blight man was born for, It is Margaret you mourn for.” Hopkins chooses to hint rather than state it directly because it is addressed “to a young child” so he has to be subtle due to their innocence.
Hopkins idea on mortality is that the things you love will all die around you and one day so will you, “It is the blight man was born for, It is Margaret you mourn for.” Also, he decides on not to dwell on death too much. They are connected by Margaret still crying, the narrator connects plants dying with humans dying. Hopkins communicates his message about mortality by writing this poem. His overall message is that death is inevitable
In Ozymandias the statue is described as “vast” and “colossal” is also described as a ruin by “shattered” and “decay”. Ozymandias is described as “king of kings” and “Mighty”. The poem conveys the skill of the sculptor by his statue “showing passions” on “lifeless things”. The poem suggests the romantic idea that art is eternal by saying that human action does not last, “Nothing beside remains” a contrast 8is created by Ozymandias’ words “Look upon my works, ye Mighty” the contrast is that the “Mighty” works are now “shattered”.
The poem shows that human pride and power does not last. What is written upon the pedestal is human pride about power. It shows that is does not last forever because “Nothing beside remains.”
The poem show that art is the only thing that lasts because it is the only thing in the “lone and level sands.” Shelly has chosen to use the image of a ruined statue to convey his ideas on mortality because it shows that everyone dies but if you leave something on earth, you will be remembered in art.
The statue is placed in the middle of a desert because it is a great contrast to what was once there, a great empire. Shelly emphasis the emptiness and size of the desert by calling it “boundless” and “bare”.
In To the Virgins, to make much of time, images of fading beauty are used “this same flower that smiles to-day, To-morrow will be dying”. In the second verse, the poet uses the sun “the sun, The higher he’s a-getting…nearer he’s to setting” the poet, Herrick, uses these images of natural beauty deteriorating is to make the point that when beauty is at its peak, it is just about to start waning.
Personification is used (the sun “race be run” and “flowers that smiles to-day”) to connect these natural events to human life. This is because life is a race.
The poets overall message is that while woman are still young and at their peak of beauty, they should marry and secure their livelihood, rather than “forever tarry”
In conclusion the presentation of mortality in each poem is different, but in some way the same. The poets agree that we will all die and that death is inevitable. Also, they agree that in the short time we have on earth we should make the most of it while we can, whether it be to get wed, be remembered or not dwelling on the sad things.
