Lights Out Edward Thomas Explanation

 

EXPLANATION

 

Stanza: 1

 

In these lines the poet has compared sleep to a deep and thick forest. He says he has reached the initial, stage of sleep. It is like an immeasurable deep and thick forest where all human-beings have to lose their way. No matter, if they lead a straight or a zigzag path. They hey, at last to come to the edge of sleep sooner or later because there is no alternative.

 

Everybody, whoever, he is has to sleep. Sleep is a great blessing, without which man cannot pull on with in life. The suggestion in this stanza is „that man has to die sooner or later and has to reach the borders of death after completing the journey of life.

 

Stanza: 2

 

This stanza gives an expression to the thought that all the roads that remain busy right from the appearance of day, till the arrival of night, people moving on such roads, have to reach the edge of deep forest (sleep or death). All the travellers (human-beings) suddenly blur because of the overpowering of sleep (or death) and soon they sink in (or die). They are fast asleep because of the day‟s long work journey of life).

 

Stanza: 3

 

In this stanza the poet says that when sleep overpowers a person he forgets everything. His love, disappointment and desire and ambition etc. all come to an end. Every kind of joy and all troubles no matter, how sweet the joy is, or how bitter the troubles are, come to an end.‟ In sleep, man forgets everything even if it is sweeter than the noblest thing/task.

 

Stanza: 4

 

In the give lines the poet further explain the state of sleep. He says sleep dominates a person he forgets even -the most beautiful face, from which in normal conditions, he would not turn away his eye. He also forgets the most interesting book when sleep overpowers him. The poet further says that he enters sleep which is necessary and because of necessity he has to enter the field of sleep alone and has also to wake-up alone. The poet does- not know how this whole process takes place.

 

Stanza: 5

 

In this concluding stanza again the poet compares sleep to tall trees. He says when he is in the grip of sleep, he feels as if the tall trees were rising more and more, spreading their shade. In the same way the undergrowth or the greenery of the tall trees becomes hazy and cloudy. The shade of the tall trees presses him to go into deep sleep. Layer above layer of sleep comes upon him silently unless he is fully under the influence of sleep. He is forced to obey and hear what the sleep commands him. When he is fully dominated by sleep, he loses his way and becomes unaware of himself. Slumber is tantamount to death. He who is in sleep is unaware of himself and all the worldly things as he would be in death.

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