this gives a sense of the Bishops muttering and confusion before his death
Enjambment used as well as a variety of punctuation
"Hours and long hours in the dead night, I ask/"Do I live, am I dead?"
Unrhymed structure
Decasyllables
10 syllables for each line
Chronological order
A large amount of hyphens to portray the Bishops gasping/dying breath
"Nay, boys, ye love me- all of jasper, then!"
A Dramatic Monologue
A character is speaking (readers gather the sense that others are listening and responding to this character)
Themes
Death
"In this state chamber, dying by degrees,"
Religion
"Saint Praxed's is ever was the church for peace;"
"Like God the father's globe in both his hands!"
Money
"Horses for ye, and brown Greek manuscripts,"
Envy/ Hatred
"Old Gandolf envied me, so fair she was!"
Buildings/Tombs
With those nine columns round me, two by two,"
Love
"And as she died so must we die ourselves,"
Context
The poem is about a Bishop who is on his death bed surround by his sons and nephews. He is speaking about his tomb which he desires with precious stones and 'lapis lazuli' rested between his knees. He explains his rival 'Gandolf' who was his predecessor and his dead wife who he loved. A Bishop should normally care more about the afterlife and if they have lived a good life whereas this Bishop is greedy and wants the most expensive tomb.
Set in Renaissance Italy
Criticises a corrupt catholic leader
Language devices
Repetition on the word 'Sons'
Alternative/persuasive tone with appeals
exclamatory language
"Ye mark me not!"
Reference to Roman writers/statesmen
"Tully, my master? Ulpian serves his need!"
Imagery
"Your tall pale mother with her talking eyes,"
"Good strong stupefying incense-smoke!
Persuasive technique of the bishop explain his thoughts and feelings
"And then how I shall live through centuries!"
Greek mythology references
"Pans and Nymphs"
Contrasts
Between what a normal Bishop wants after death then to the corrupt bishop in the poem