This document provides a technical analysis of the poem "An Ode to Death" by Daud Kamal. It summarizes the form and themes of the poem, including that it is written as an ode expressing the author's deep feelings about the certainty of death. The tone is described as doubtful, low, and dark. Metaphors like "diamond dreams" and "carbon dust" represent the death of a man's dreams. Imagery is used to describe witnessing someone's last breaths. The style is a dramatic monologue. In conclusion, the poem creates a sense of the universality and uncertainty of death through its language and images.

1. TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
OF AN ODE TO DEATH
Presented By
Muhammad
Altaf
Presented To
Ma’am Sadaf

2. Ode
 A poem that expresses deep personal feelings in
a way that is like a song
 Ode is a lyric poem typically of elaborate or
irregular metrical form in which a person
expresses a strong feeling of love or respect for
someone or something. Ode to death poem is
written as an ode form.

3. Poem
 An ode to death is a poem about the ultimate
reality of death that death must happen in every
one’s life. So, when a man comes in this world a
dream is also born with him. In the poem “An
Ode to Death” the diction employed by Daud
Kamal is finest. His writing style is deeply
influenced by the imagists. He was the true son
of soil.

4. Tone
 The tone of the whole poem is doubtful, low and
dark. It is full of confusion and impression. It
does not vary from stanza to stanza, it remains
stable, spiritual. The theme of death is so low
and serious and that seriousness reaches to its
height by his using diction like shock, grave,
forest of symbols etc.

5. Metaphor
 It is a word or phrase for one thing that is used
to refer to another thing in order to show or
suggest that they are similar. So, he has used
metaphorical expressions in the stanza such as:
“And in every particle of carbon-dust
There lives a diamond dreams”
Every man promotes a dream which dies with
his death. So, here ‘diamond dream’ and ‘carbon
dust’ represent death of man’s dream with his
death.

6. Imagery
 Imagery means to use figurative language to represent
objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to
our physical senses. So, poet has used imagery in the
stanza like:
“I have sat by your bedside and felt
Your sinking pulse. Are the hair and bones
Really indestructible and how long
Does it take for the eyes?
To dissolve in the grave”
In this whole stanza the poet has described the whole
scenery and he appears to be a witness of a person’s
breathing his last.

7. Islamic Approach
 In this Poem the poet describes Islamic
approach using the word ‘forgotten river’
that our soul and physical body mix in
forgotten river, and we have forgotten our
real aim and so busy in the luxuries of the
life that we have ignored the End of the
Day. Forgotten river is the ignored
eternity.

8. Style
 The style of this poem is dramatic monologue
and dramatic monologue is a poem in the form of
a speech or narrative by an imagined person, in
which the speaker accidentally reveals aspects of
their character while describing a particular
situation or series of events. Daud Kamal
representing this poem in the form of dramatic
monologue

9. Conclusion
 It is concluded that “An Ode to Death” by Daud Kamal is a poem about
the certainty of death. It is not written for the special area. It is a
universal phenomenon. By using different examples like ‘clock’,
‘thunderbolt’, ‘galaxies’ etc. he creates the effect of objectivity. Images
create real pictures in our mind. That images have symbolic
interpretations for e.g. clock is the symbol of uncertainty of life as time is
uncertain. It does not wait for anyone. Language used by Daud Kamal is
very simple and easy. Construction and arrangement (syntax) of words is
easy to understand. In the whole poem reader finds himself engaged with
the idea of happening of death. Whole poem revolves around the opening
verse of poem that is “Death is more than a certain”.

10. THANK
YOU