After the Attack

The title of this piece hints that the death referenced later in the poem is something that is to be expected. It begins with "the sick boy" and then goes on to speak about the painting. The imagery used to describe what is happening in the painting helps the reader to better understand the symbolism of death. The author uses the painting to portray some of the different aspects of death that many think about. "...peaceful even though the wheat is a golden storm" No one is a stranger to the idea that death is something that is supposed to bring about peace, especially those who believe in the afterlife. But, this line also brings up the idea of the fear or anticipation of death. The fear of death is mostly for the unknown, just as it is for the fear of a storm. The narrator speaks of the man in the painting who could symbolize any number of religious figures, but for this poem is just the one who helps bring people over into death. As the poem continues on, the painting expands as if to welcome the sick boy inside to become a part of the wheat field. It "begins to stretch and open" like a doorway leading into the next world. The poem ends with "He has come nearer./No one notices it." I think this is talking about both the boy and the man in the painting. The man has come nearer to help the boy into his transition to the other side and the boy has come nearer to death. The tone of this piece makes the reader feel somewhat like the sick boy. It is as if the author put the reader in the place of the boy calmly waiting for death to come. It isn't indifferent, but rather ready for what will surely come next.