I need to come up with three possible themes for Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, Grief. I can come up with one, thatbut not the other two. Can you come up with another possible theme? Thanks.

Here is the original poem.

Grief

I tell you, hopeless grief is passionless;
That only men incredulous of despair,
Half-taught in anguish, through the midnight air
Beat upward to God's throne in loud access
Of shrieking and reproach. Full desertness,
In souls as countries, lieth silent-bare
Under the blanching, vertical eye-glare
Of the absolute Heavens. Deep-hearted man, express
Grief for thy Dead in silence like to death--
Most like a monumental statue set
In everlasting watch and moveless woe
Till itself crumble to the dust beneath.
Touch it; the marble eyelids are not wet:
If it could weep, it could arise and go.

What theme have you come up with? If you mean just 'grief', I don't think that's a theme. It's the title, and the general subject.

Possible themes:

1. Still waters flow deep; so the best way to show the depth of your grieving is to grieve in silence and stillness.

2. Loud, demonstrative grief is futile. The heavens aren't moved by it.

3. Great loss robs us of our passions and leaves us mute and virtually paralyzed.



Post Edited (12-12-04 07:26)

Thanks for the three themes, they help understand the poem a little better.

hopeless grief is passionless

That is, total anguish dulls the senses.

only men ... half-taught in anguish

That is, those who have only experienced partial grief.

(shriek) and reproach

That is, wail and moan.

Full desertness [ouch] ... (lies silent)

I'm not convinced she is correct in her claim, however. That may be how she reacts personally, but a mother who has seen her infant burned to screaming death in a fire could very well react with a passionate lament.