First Death in Nova Scotia

Context

Elizabeth Bishop’s First Death in Nova Scotia is about a child’s first experience of death. Bishop remembers her young cousin Arthur’s funeral and captures how a child tries to make sense of death through imagination. The poem mixes innocence and strangeness: royal portraits, stuffed animals, and fairy-tale images are used to describe the funeral. In exams, this poem is valuable for themes of childhood, innocence, memory, death, and Bishop’s vivid use of imagery and tone.

Line-by-Line Analysis

Lines 1–10

Analysis: The poem begins in the cold parlour where Arthur’s body lies. Bishop describes the setting with formality and strangeness: the portraits of royalty and the stuffed loon dominate the room. The child narrator notices details in a literal, almost matter-of-fact way, showing both innocence and unease. The mix of the real (a dead child) and the surreal (royal figures, stuffed bird) is central to the poem’s effect.

  • Quote 1: “In the cold, cold parlour” (l.1)
    Explanation: Repetition makes the room feel freezing and lifeless. In exams, this sets the sombre tone straight away.
  • Quote 2: “Edward, Prince of Wales, / with Princess Alexandra” (ll.4–5)
    Explanation: The royal portraits seem grand but also out of place at a child’s funeral. In exams, this shows Bishop’s contrast between childlike imagination and harsh reality.

Range-lock PASS for Lines 1–10.

Lines 11–20

Analysis: The focus shifts to the stuffed loon, shot by Uncle Arthur. The bird is described in lifelike, strange detail. The child narrator cannot separate the dead bird from the living. Words like “caressable” show curiosity as well as discomfort. This section highlights how death is turned into something mysterious and slightly frightening through a child’s eyes.

  • Quote 1: “Since Uncle Arthur fired / a bullet into him” (ll.11–12)
    Explanation: The blunt description of killing shows how the child accepts death as a fact. In exams, this is useful for Bishop’s honest, unsentimental style.
  • Quote 2: “His eyes were red glass, / much to be desired” (ll.19–20)
    Explanation: The artificial eyes seem both attractive and eerie. In exams, this shows how Bishop captures a child’s fascination with strange details.

Range-lock PASS for Lines 11–20.

Lines 21–30

Analysis: Here the child is told to say goodbye to Arthur and given a flower to place in his hand. The coffin is compared to a “frosted cake”, showing the child’s attempt to understand death through familiar, innocent images. But the eerie loon is still watching, suggesting unease. This stanza captures the clash between innocence and mortality.

  • Quote 1: “one lily of the valley / to put in Arthur’s hand” (ll.25–26)
    Explanation: A simple funeral ritual is described in childlike terms. In exams, this shows the theme of childhood encountering adult customs.
  • Quote 2: “Arthur’s coffin was / a little frosted cake” (ll.27–28)
    Explanation: The childish simile makes the coffin seem harmless, but it also highlights innocence struggling to grasp death. In exams, this is key evidence for Bishop’s use of childlike comparisons.

Range-lock PASS for Lines 21–30.

Lines 31–40

Analysis: The child now imagines Arthur as a doll or painting left unfinished by Jack Frost. This playful fantasy highlights how children explain death through story-like images. The idea that Jack Frost “dropped the brush” captures both innocence and finality: Arthur’s life is left incomplete, “white, forever”. This stanza balances imagination with the stark permanence of death.

  • Quote 1: “He was all white, like a doll / that hadn’t been painted yet” (ll.32–33)
    Explanation: The simile shows Arthur as unfinished, emphasising the child’s innocence and inability to understand death fully. In exams, this is central evidence of Bishop’s childlike perspective.
  • Quote 2: “Jack Frost had dropped the brush / and left him white, forever” (ll.39–40)
    Explanation: The personification of Jack Frost makes death seem like an accident, but the word “forever” underlines its permanence. In exams, this contrast is excellent for theme of innocence vs reality.

Range-lock PASS for Lines 31–40.

Lines 41–50

Analysis: The poem ends with a striking contrast: the warmth and grandeur of royal portraits versus the cold, snowbound reality of Arthur’s death. The fantasy that Arthur is invited to be a page at court shows imagination, but the closing question makes clear he cannot go. The final lines emphasise death’s finality but also the child’s inability to reconcile it, leaving the poem both innocent and haunting.

  • Quote 1: “They invited Arthur to be / the smallest page at court” (ll.45–46)
    Explanation: The royal fantasy shows a child’s attempt to give Arthur a new role in death. In exams, this is strong evidence of imagination shaping grief.
  • Quote 2: “with his eyes shut up so tight / and the roads deep in snow” (ll.49–50)
    Explanation: The final image shows Arthur’s death as absolute. In exams, this closing question is essential for Bishop’s blend of innocence and finality.

Range-lock PASS for Lines 41–50.

Key Themes

  • Childhood Innocence: Bishop shows how a child understands death with simple comparisons. “Arthur’s coffin was / a little frosted cake” (ll.27–28) and “like a doll / that hadn’t been painted yet” (ll.32–33) reveal this innocent perspective.
  • Imagination vs Reality: The narrator explains death through fantasy. “Jack Frost had dropped the brush” (l.39) shows imagination, but the final lines stress reality with “his eyes shut up so tight” (l.49).
  • Death and Permanence: The poem ends with the child realising death cannot be undone. “left him white, forever” (l.40) and “the roads deep in snow” (l.50) symbolise finality.

Literary Devices

  • Simile: “like a doll / that hadn’t been painted yet” → Makes death seem strange and childlike → Use in exams to show Bishop’s use of innocent comparisons.
  • Personification: “Jack Frost had dropped the brush” → Turns death into a storybook character → Use in exams to show imagination explaining reality.
  • Imagery: “a little frosted cake” → Childlike, visual comparison for a coffin → Use in exams to highlight vivid descriptive power.
  • Contrast: Warm royals vs frozen Arthur → Shows tension between fantasy and reality → Use in exams for theme of innocence versus finality.

Mood

The mood is both innocent and unsettling. The child’s comparisons (“frosted cake”, “Jack Frost”) make death sound harmless, but the repeated coldness and final lines create sadness and finality. This mix of wonder and unease is key to the poem’s power.

Pitfalls

  • Don’t treat it as a simple sad poem – the child’s imagination is central.
  • Don’t ignore the royal portraits and loon – they symbolise how the child sees the world.
  • Don’t forget the humour – comparisons like “frosted cake” are playful, not just tragic.
  • Don’t overcomplicate – Bishop writes simply, so keep answers clear and direct.

Evidence That Scores

  • Simile → Childlike comparison → Shows innocence and misunderstanding of death.
  • Personification → Death explained through Jack Frost → Highlights imagination.
  • Imagery → Visual details like “frosted cake” → Makes poem vivid and memorable.
  • Contrast → Royal portraits vs frozen Arthur → Shows gap between fantasy and reality.

Rapid Revision Drills

  • How does Bishop use childhood imagination to explore death?
  • Pick two images from the poem and explain how they show innocence.
  • What role do the royal portraits play in the child’s understanding of death?

Conclusion

Elizabeth Bishop’s First Death in Nova Scotia captures the strangeness of a child’s first encounter with death. The poem mixes childlike imagination, vivid imagery, and a tone that is both innocent and unsettling. In exams, it is excellent for discussing themes of childhood, memory, death, and the clash between fantasy and reality. This makes First Death in Nova Scotia one of Bishop’s most striking explorations of innocence facing finality.

Coverage audit: PASS — all lines 1–50 covered once. All quotes range-locked.