Journal #3: “First Death in Nova Scotia”

When I read this poem it took me a few tries to understand what was going on. I think that is because the poem is written with such simplicity in mind, as it’s written from the point of view of a child. It was hard for me to figure out what was going on with the loon too. The poet says that little Arthur looks like a “doll” and describes his coffin as a “little frosted cake,” as the loon watches it from its “white, frozen lake” that is the marble table it stands on. I think that within the poem, Bishop uses colors to indicate life and the lack thereof. For instance, the parlor is cold, and holds two dead things: Arthur and the stuffed loon residing on his frozen lake. The lake is “white” and the words “frosted cake” make me think that Arthur’s small casket is white as well. Jack Frost paints Arthur white, leaving just a “few red strokes” (perhaps representing the few days or months that Arthur lived). The royal families are shown as “warm in red,” indicating life against the stark whiteness that is the parlor.