-William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
(This poem
occurs in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest,
Act I, Scene 2. Ariel, a character of mysterious existence, sings this song to
Ferdinand, Prince of Naples, who mistakenly thinks his father is drowned.)
The speaker of
the poem, Ariel, says that the Prince’s father is already dead, and that his
body is at the bottom of the sea 30 feet below from the surface. His bones have
been changed into coral. His eyes have become pearls. And no part of his body
has been useless. Everything has been completely changed into something more
valuable and useful. Therefore, the Prince’s father, according to the speaker,
has got a meaningful death.
The Prince need
not worry about his father’s death because the sea beauties are ringing the
death bell to show respect to his father.
The poem is
musical. It has onomatopoeia (e.g. ding-dong),
alliteration (e.g. Full fathom
five thy father lies), assonance (e.g. nothing/doth) and rhymes (e.g. lies/eyes).
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