In "As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest," the speaker states, "And my clay house mold'ring away" and "Nor grinding pains my body frail." Considering the context of the poem, what do these lines reveal about the speaker's opinion of the physical body? Cite text from the poem to support your response.

Question

Chaya Moyer

English

5 December, 16:38

In "As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest," the speaker states, "And my clay house mold'ring away" and "Nor grinding pains my body frail." Considering the context of the poem, what do these lines reveal about the speaker's opinion of the physical body? Cite text from the poem to support your response.

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Morgan Cantrell · Answer 1

Taking into consideration the context of the poem, these lines present that the speaker's body is aging. She endures a number of ailments that go with age and therefore she feels her body is rotting away. This perception is asserted in the line "And my clay house mold'ring away." These conditions have also resulted for her body to become very weak. The line " Nor grinding pains my body frail" justifies this view. Based on these two lines, the speaker thinks that the physical body is a barge that people possesses in their dire form. This barge faces the hardships that time brings. Only by death will a person be free from the physical body.