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In this stanza the man regrets some of the decisions that he has made in his life. The man feels that if he allows himself to reflect upon his past he will have to deal with the emotions and consequences of a life of poor decisions. He questions if there is a chance to turn back the hands of time to, hopefully, bring an opportunity for change in his life, “Do I dare? and, Do I dare” (Line 38). His physical aging embarrasses him, “With a bald spot in the middle of my hair” (39). He is very depressed because he is worried about what other people will perceive of him. “My morning coat, my collar mounted firmly to my chin,” this shows how he is trying to hide the evidence of physical aging by covering it up with clothing (42). This is another sign that he is depressed. He is hoping that with a “necktie rich and modest” he will appear upstanding, but will not be noticed for being richly dressed (43). He hopes that his colorful piece of clothing will distract others from his thin arms and legs, “His arms and legs are thin” (44). Once again he is concerned with how people perceive him. He uses imagery to describe how he looks, he is trying to look upstanding and righteous but in
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The diction of this poem is both formal and informal. While the rhyming of “thin “(41), “chin” (42), and “pin (43) sets a mood of desperation. Life is a chain of decisions, the choices that you make along the way influence your life after death. The question of whether he should or should not disturb the perfect harmony of nature, Do I dare/Disturb the universe?” (45-46), brings up his desire to have a moment to turn back time and make different choices. “In a minute there is time,” this hyperbole describes how he feels that in just one minute he could change his life forever (47). There is paradox with the phrase “decisions and revisions” these two are contradictory emotions, but no matter how hard they work together this one minute that he desires it could reverse them and change his life forever. He badly wants to change his life’s history. The rhythm of this stanza is mainly poetic. This man realizes that his choices were not the best, but in the end his hope for revising these poor decisions no longer exists. Phrases like, “my collar mounted firmly to my chin” (44) are more formal while phrases like, “I have measured my life out in coffee spoons” (51) are more informal. There is also the repetition of the words “known them all” (49) and “dying” (52) which helps set the rhythm at the end. It rhymes most of the words that end each line, but it does not rhyme any of the “dare” this makes these phrases stand out. The man knows now everything that he should have done. Measuring out his life in coffee he signifies that he feels that his life was limited to a certain amount. In the last line he realizes that it is hopeless to think “Do I dare”, there is no chance that he will get a chance to turn back time and change some of his decisions.
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