Before She Died

In “Before She Died,” Karen Chase sets a nostalgic tone, using syntax and diction to capture the feeling of life without a loved one. Throughout the poem, Chase uses a great deal of punctuation, making the reader stop at several points throughout the reading. This reflects the theme of the poem, that life is absolute and that moments are fleeting. Chase is trying to tell the reader that you need to stop and appreciate each day, because you never know when the next one will come. Additionally, the vivid words in the passage describe the feelings the speaker is trying to convey, ones of love, mortality and emotional dependency. Through her dog Wool, who is “panting and aged,” Chase relays the idea that we get older and will eventually pass away. Furthermore, strong words like “finite” concretize the meaning of the poem.