Elegy For Jane Literary Devices

In Theodore Roetheke’s Elegy for Jane, a teacher comes to terms with the tragic death of one of his students. He includes many of the traditional aspects of an elegy while ignoring others, however it is still classified as an elegy. This is a poem in remembrance of the dead written in free verse with five stanzas, consisting of 4-5 lines each. Its simple structure and lyrical verses allows us to create the image of Jane as a natural young beauty. His willingness to deviate from the norms of a typical elegy reflect the unusual relationship he had with Jane, and how because of this he feels he is unable to grieve properly. The sudden death of a loved one is an extremely tumultuous experience, especially when the life that is lost is that of a young child. When the life of someone so innocent is cut short it forces all of those affected to look differently at mortality and human life. Though the speaker has no intimate connection with her, he feels a great sorrow in her loss. He personifies her likeness by comparing her to many beautiful aspects of nature. In which, he is reminded of the fact the as a part of nature, human mortality is inevitable. He

It forces us to rethink or relationship with the natural world, as well as the inevitable mortality we as living beings must deal with. By describing Jane’s physical and emotional characteristics as aspects of nature, it reminds us of the connection we have with nature. That every soul has something to contribute to the world, no matter how unnoticeable we may think it is. Through the clever and thorough use of a number of literary devices and rhyme scheme, the overall form and meter of the poem allows us to imagine the life of Jane and the impact she had on those around