The poem
Vital spark of heav'nly flame! Quit, O quit this mortal frame: Trembling, hoping, ling'ring, flying, O the pain, the bliss of dying! Cease, fond Nature, cease thy strife, And let me languish into life.
Hark! they whisper; angels say, Sister Spirit, come away! What is this absorbs me quite? Steals my senses, shuts my sight, Drowns my spirits, draws my breath? Tell me, my soul, can this be death?
The world recedes; it disappears! Heav'n opens on my eyes! my ears With sounds seraphic ring! Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly! O Grave! where is thy victory? O Death! where is thy sting?
Pope expresses the Joy of death for a Christian soul which is a stark contrast to society's view of death. He has used a number of paradoxes throughout the poem to portray this view and a peculiar rhyming pattern which changes in the last stanza. Pope closes with two questions "O Grave! where is thy Victory?" and "O death! where is thy sting?" Leaving these lines to be interpreted by the reader
The Dying Christian to his Soul
This poem is included in my Mother-in-law's funeral service as it gives a positive and reassuring outlook on death, Its joyful and uplifting and will be a comfort to us in the days to come.
poem
looking for something to say at a funeral, found this poem and liked it. Reading the last two comments made me laugh. The world is populated by morons and we are all part of this world.
lterature
Pope has used paradoxes throughout the poem asthe stylistic device. And in the poem he shows the hope of dying achristian to his readers which is portrayed in the last stanza.
dying ChriStian to his soul
"Vital spark of hevenly flame"the poet refers to his soul as a vital spark. "quit oh quit this mortal frame" the poet also urges his soul dipicted with the word frame exit his mortal frame. His body is a container of his soul." Trembling hopping lingering flying" "oh d pain d bliss of dying" d poet says one must go tru pain before passing through a glorious exit..