Thy name has chronicled a long bright page
Of England's story; and perhaps the babe
Who opens, as thou closest thine, his eyes
On this eventful world, when aged grown,
Musing on times gone by, shall sigh and say,
Shaking his thin grey hairs, whitened with grief,
Our fathers' days were happy.
In this quotation, from the final stanza, the narrator attempts to reassure the king of all the good he has instilled in his kingdom over the course of his reign. Here, the narrator attempts to ease the king’s conscious by suggesting that his name will be associated with every good, bright, and prosperous period in this history. In other words, he suggest that people will look back upon his reign and recall only positive, prosperous times. Additionally, the narrator furthers this reassurance by stating that children who are born on the day of his death will one day look back and recall his reign with joyous gladness; they will have been humbled to have been born on the death of such a prominent and life-changing figure. This entire quotation is an attempt on behalf of the narrator to reassure the king of all that he has done for his people. It reassures him that, in death, he will be revered and remembered always.
And each rude gust that swept the changing sky
Dissolved to strains of liquid harmony.
In this stanza, which begins the conclusion of the poem, the narrator compliments the beauty of Mr. Bowring’s translation. He compares the pre-translations to rude gusts of wind. The narrator is emphasizing the rough, haughty nature of the words before Mr. Bowring works on them. He then explains that, after Mr. Bowring has completed his translations, the words dissolve into strains of tranquil harmony. In other words, the narrator is praising Mr. Bowring for his ability to translate the most unpleasant of sounds into easy, harmonious songs.
Yes, injured Woman! rise, assert thy right!
Woman! too long degraded, scorned, opprest.
In this fiery call-to-action, the narrator proclaims the degradation of women has gone on long enough. The female narrator says that women have been trampled on long enough. She urges her female readers to assert their independence, free-will, and ability. The narrator hopes to rile in her readers the same fiery sense of urgency that she clearly feels herself. The opening of this poem suggests that the narrator believes that her readers are likely already in support of her feminist agenda and call-to-action.
Rest, rest, afflicted spirit, quickly pass
Thine hour of bitter suffering! Rest awaits thee.
In these opening lines, the narrator is addressing a terminally ill king. The narrator immediately recognize that death is near. He does not attempt to sugar-coat the situation. Rather, he agrees that death is swiftly approaching and will likely claim the king soon. However, rather than mourn this impending death, the narrator seems to suggest that death is a relief. He compares death to a particularly restful sleep, one in which pain passes swiftly and without anguish. To help ease the king’s mind, the narrator suggests that death is a peaceful and welcome event, because death finally relieves us from the burden and duties of our earthly life.
