In lines 14 - 20, the poet seems to be speaking to the "submerged people".
Who do you think are the "submerged people" (line 14)?.
b. What does the speech in lines 14 -20 tell you about what is going on in the poem?.
a. The "submerged people" refers to people that the poet knew or his "companions" that are now dead. He may be speaking to their spirits.
b. The poet is pleading to the ghosts of his "companions" and asking them to "leave [him] alone". They seem to be bothering him and his conscience.
He claims that he has not taken anything of theirs or caused anyone of them to die. He says that "No one died in my place. No one." This repetition shows that he is very convinced that he is innocent and at the same time desperate to prove his innocence. This also strengthens the point that he is feeling something weighing heavily on his conscience.
He asks them to "Go back into the mist" which shows that he would like them to go away and stop bothering him. He is probably haunted by their memories and has no peace of mind.
He feels guilty that he is still alive but he still insists that the fact that he remains alive and goes about his daily activities is "not [his] fault".
Altogether, this suggests that this poem is about the poet's mental unrest at his "companion's" death and his own survival. He feels extremely guilty even though he feels that it is not his fault and he did nothing to cause their death.
2. Give two examples of imagery in this poem. Describe the image that is being depicted.
"Livid in the first faint light" -.
This is an example of a metaphor. The poet describes the faces of his dead companions as being "livid" or bluish-grey. This colour is not a colour that is normally associated with human beings. However, this colour, being dark and depressing reminds one of death and sadness. It also very appropriately brings out the mood of the poem. The fact that this word means extreme anger further illustrates the feelings that his "companions" would have felt about their untimely deaths.