“Running from Life: A Found Poem” From William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying By: Jessica Tran

Running from Life The sun has gone down behind a bank of black cloud. I can smell the life running up from under my hands. I run in the dust. I cannot see. It’s because I am alone. I don’t know how to worry, I don’t know how to cry. I tried, but I can’t. The agony and the despair of spreading bones waked with a black void rushing under me. I knew living was terrible, and that this was the answer to it. Sin and love and fear are just sounds. Sometimes I would lie in the slow silence. The reason for living is getting ready to stay dead.  

Loneliness causes suffering and depression. Theme: Loneliness causes suffering and depression.

Personification “the life running up from under my hands” (line 2) “The agony and the despair of spreading bones waked with a black void rushing under me.” (lines 10-11)

The Meaning of the Personification “the life running up from under my hands” (line 2) - Personification- gives the nonhuman object, life, human characteristics- “running” - Meaning- The speaker is in a state of depression from being lonely. As a result, he feels like life is “running” or escaping from his body to the point of death although life is not literally running from his hands. “The agony and the despair of spreading bones waked with a black void rushing under me.” (lines 10-11) - Personification- attributes the inanimate objects of “agony and despair” with a human action- “wake” - Meaning- Although agony and despair did not physically wake the speaker, these elements did stir or cause the “black void” or emptiness within him.

Diction The sun has gone down behind a bank of black cloud. (pg. 42) The agony and the despair of spreading bones waked with a black void rushing under me. (pg. 121) I knew living was terrible (pg. 171) The reason for living is getting ready to stay dead. (pg. 175)

Connection The dark and gloomy diction correlates to the dreary state of the lonely speaker. Black cloud Agony Despair Bones Black void Terrible Dead

In Conclusion… Through the use of personification and diction, the poem depicts the melancholy emotions experienced when one is alone. The overall dark tone evokes that loneliness causes depression and even thoughts of death, hence the “black cloud”.

“Can’t go home alone again, Need someone to numb the pain.” THE END TUNES-WEDNESDAY “Can’t go home alone again, Need someone to numb the pain.”