Tichborne’s elegy

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Tichborne’s elegy

Chidiock Tichborne himself wrote Tichborne’s elegy, in the tower before

his execution. The poem reflects his feeling that he has lived a life

but it has been useless, as fate had always intended him to die this

way.

In the first stanza he compares his attributes to many bad things in

his world “my prime of youth is but a frost of cares,” this line

illustrates that he should have been enjoying his life now rather than

worrying about his death. “My crop of corn is but a field of tares”

shows that he feels he has been given life but it is useless to

everyone. “And all my good is but vain hope of gain” gives you an idea

about how Tichborne feels that fate is pushing down on him, and

anything he tries to improve his life fails.

The second stanza shows Tichborne’s feeling that he has had no

influence on anything “my tale was heard, and yet it was not told”

this is demonstrating that even though his life has happened it was

nothing, another quote that backs up this point is “I saw the world,

and yet I was not seen”. “My fruit has fallen, and yet my leaves are

green;” shows that he is still young yet the prime of his life has

passed. “My thread has been cut, and yet it is not spun;” illustrates

the idea that Tichborne’s life has been given to him but it has not

been fulfilled.

The third and final stanza talks about how his life had been decided

to end this way even before he was born, “I trod the earth, and knew

it was my tomb” this is illustrating the idea that he knew that his

fate was for him to die early. “I sought my death, and found it in my

womb” this shows that when he looked for death he found it in his

life, I expect this is because he is being executed for murder so in

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