conclusion of poem full fathom five thy father lies
Song: “Full fathom five thy father lies”
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
(from The Tempest)
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong.
Hark! now I hear them,—ding-dong, bell.
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The conclusion of the poem "Full Fathom Five" by William Shakespeare is a description of the lifeless body of the speaker's father lying underwater. The poem is from Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" and is an epitaph, a poem written in honor of someone who has passed away.
To fully understand the conclusion of the poem, it is necessary to first read the entire poem and analyze its meaning. Here is the full text of the poem:
"Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong,
Hark! Now I hear them - Ding-dong, bell."
To analyze the conclusion and its meaning, we can break it down line by line:
"Full fathom five thy father lies" - This line means that the speaker's father is lying deep underwater, fully submerged at a depth of five fathoms. A fathom is a unit of measurement for depth, roughly equal to six feet.
"Of his bones are coral made" - This line suggests that over time, the father's bones have transformed into coral. It symbolizes both the permanence of his presence in the underwater world and the connection between the father and the natural elements of the sea.
"Those are pearls that were his eyes" - Here, Shakespeare uses figurative language to describe the transformation of the father's eyes into pearls. This metaphor suggests that even in death, the father's eyes still possess value and beauty.
"Nothing of him that doth fade" - This line implies that despite the father's physical body being underwater, nothing about him is fading away or disappearing. It signifies the enduring presence of his spirit or memory.
"But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange" - This couplet means that the father has undergone a profound transformation in the sea. The adjective "rich" suggests that the change is significant and valuable, while "strange" implies its unfamiliarity or otherworldliness.
"Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell" - Nymphs, mythological creatures associated with the sea, are ringing a funeral bell for the father in a cyclical and constant manner. This reinforces the idea of the father's permanent place in the underwater realm and implies a ritualistic sense of mourning and remembrance.
"Ding-dong,
Hark! Now I hear them - Ding-dong, bell" - This final couplet depicts the sound of the funeral bell, emphasizing the ongoing and repetitive nature of the mourning process for the father.
Overall, the conclusion of "Full Fathom Five" presents a vivid and imaginative portrayal of a father's transformation after death in the depths of the sea, highlighting the idea that though physically departed, the father's spirit or memory lives on in a rich and mysterious way.