In "As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest," the speaker states, "And my clay house mold’ring away" and "Nor grinding pains my body frail
." Considering the context of the poem, what do these lines reveal about the speaker’s opinion of the physical body? Cite text from the poem to support your response.
Considering the context of the poem, these lines reveal that the speaker’s body is aging. She suffers from a number of ailments that come with age and therefore she feels her body is rotting away. This feeling is expressed in the line "And my clay house mold’ring away." These ailments have also left her body very weak. The line ""Nor grinding pains my body frail" corroborates this view. Based on these two lines the speaker perhaps feels the physical body is a vessel that people possess in their mortal form. This vessel endures the hardships that time brings. Only upon death is a person free from the physical body.
Taking into consideration the context of the poem, these lines present that the speaker's body is aging. She endures a number of ailments that go with age and therefore she feels her body is rotting away. This perception is asserted in the line "And my clay house mold'ring away." These conditions have also resulted for her body to become very weak. The line " Nor grinding pains my body frail" justifies this view. Based on these two lines, the speaker thinks that the physical body is a barge that people possesses in their dire form. This barge faces the hardships that time brings. Only by death will a person be free from the physical body.
