Tichborne includes a number of other images that represents his short life, such as 'my thread is cut'. Another image Tichborne uses the contrast of his 'crop of corn' to the 'field of tares'. This line contain these contrasting images to add emphasis. the corn represents those who live good lives and the tares represent the evil doers. This line squeezes a lot of meaning into a very short space. 'My feast of joy', another image used by the poet probably refers to the fulfilling religious aspect to his brief life. This 'feast' is an obvious contrast to the far smaller-sounding 'dish of pain'. It may be that this has added meaning, as what I feel that the poet is trying to communicate is that though his life was short, and though he hadn't done all that he had hoped to, the huge 'joy' he gained from religion more than compensated for the pain of his execution.
Tichborne also utilizes a rhyming couplet at the end of each verse (stanza) to emphasize these lines
"My crop of corn is but a field of tares."
This is saying his crop of corn, i.e. his life, his achievements, and the things which he has to his name, are now worthless. Tares are a practically worthless animal feed, they are weeds. This line is quite simply saying that he is finished, and that his life is now pointless.
"I sought my death, and found it in my womb"
This line is demonstrating the author's acceptance of his death. He is saying that the reason for him having to die, he has found in his womb: the place where new life is created. His deep inside, his inner beliefs, thoughts and feelings would have been created here. The author was born to die in this way, to die for his beliefs. His is like a martyr.
"My glass is full, and now my glass is run"
When he talks about a glass, it could mean an hourglass. The hourglass has now run out, yet it should not be, in relation to his age. If an hourglass was to run out, it would symbolise the end of something, especially now, as hourglasses are not often used.
The grave but not yet depressing music of the lines is emphasised by the repetition of the line, which ends all three stanzas:
"And now I live, and now my life is done."
This line creates a sense of doom, and death, as though the poet were anticipating the slow tolling of the bell announcing his death. This poem does not try to gain the reader's sympathy; it is more about the author accepting what he has done wrong. He has accepted that he will be executed, and now he is trying to prepare for it.
There is a tight rhyming structure to this poem. The pattern goes: ABABCC, ABABCC, etc, throughout the stanzas. This tight rhythmic structure shows how the decision is made that he is going to die, and nothing can be done, except to accept it. There is no wandering outside of the structure, which represents the way the writer is feeling; he is not going to wander in and out of thinking that there might be some hope for him being saved.
