"First Death in Nova Scotia" appears in Elizabeth Bishop's 1965 collection Questions of Travel. Its speaker recalls a poignant scene from her early childhood: a wake held for her very young cousin, Arthur, in the family parlor. Her detailed memories capture her fascination and unease as the reality of death begins to dawn on her. The poem illustrates how a child's death can profoundly unsettle other children, prompting their first realization that life comes to a permanent end.

• Read the full text of “First Death in Nova Scotia”

• “First Death in Nova Scotia” Summary

• “First Death in Nova Scotia” Themes

  • 

    Childhood Innocence vs. Awareness of Death

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-50
  • 

    The Strangeness and Finality of Death

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-50

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “First Death in Nova Scotia”

  • Lines 1-6

    In the cold, ...
    ... with Queen Mary.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 7-10

    Below them on ...
    ... Arthur, Arthur's father.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 11-16

    Since Uncle Arthur ...
    ... the marble-topped table.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 17-20

    His breast was ...
    ... to be desired.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 21-26

    "Come," said my ...
    ... in Arthur's hand.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 27-30

    Arthur's coffin was ...
    ... white, frozen lake.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 31-36

    Arthur was very ...
    ... Maple Leaf (Forever).

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 37-40

    He had just ...
    ... him white, forever.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 41-46

    The gracious royal ...
    ... page at court.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 47-50

    But how could ...
    ... deep in snow?

    

    

    

    

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• “First Death in Nova Scotia” Symbols

  • 

    Lily of the Valley

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 24-26: “I was lifted up and given / one lily of the valley / to put in Arthur's hand.”
    • Line 48: “clutching his tiny lily,”
  • 

    Red and White

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Line 15: “on his white, frozen lake,”
    • Line 17: “His breast was deep and white,”
    • Line 19: “his eyes were red glass,”
    • Line 25: “one lily of the valley”
    • Lines 27-30: “Arthur's coffin was / a little frosted cake, / and the red-eyed loon eyed it / from his white, frozen lake.”
    • Lines 32-40: “He was all white, like a doll / that hadn't been painted yet. / Jack Frost had started to paint him / the way he always painted / the Maple Leaf (Forever). / He had just begun on his hair, / a few red strokes, and then / Jack Frost had dropped the brush / and left him white, forever.”
    • Line 42: “were warm in red and ermine;”
    • Line 48: “clutching his tiny lily,”
    • Line 50: “and the roads deep in snow?”

• “First Death in Nova Scotia” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Metaphor

    

    

    

    

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    Where metaphor appears in the poem:

    • Lines 15-16: “on his white, frozen lake, / the marble-topped table.”
    • Lines 27-28: “Arthur's coffin was / a little frosted cake,”
    • Line 30: “from his white, frozen lake.”
    • Lines 32-40: “He was all white, like a doll / that hadn't been painted yet. / Jack Frost had started to paint him / the way he always painted / the Maple Leaf (Forever). / He had just begun on his hair, / a few red strokes, and then / Jack Frost had dropped the brush / and left him white, forever.”

  • Anthropomorphism

    

    

    

    

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    Where anthropomorphism appears in the poem:

    • Lines 11-14: “Since Uncle Arthur fired / a bullet into him, / he hadn't said a word. / He kept his own counsel”
    • Lines 34-40: “Jack Frost had started to paint him / the way he always painted / the Maple Leaf (Forever). / He had just begun on his hair, / a few red strokes, and then / Jack Frost had dropped the brush / and left him white, forever.”

  • Juxtaposition

    

    

    

    

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    Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-10: “In the cold, cold parlor / my mother laid out Arthur / beneath the chromographs: / Edward, Prince of Wales, / with Princess Alexandra, / and King George with Queen Mary. / Below them on the table / stood a stuffed loon / shot and stuffed by Uncle / Arthur, Arthur's father.”
    • Lines 27-30: “Arthur's coffin was / a little frosted cake, / and the red-eyed loon eyed it / from his white, frozen lake.”
    • Lines 41-50: “The gracious royal couples / were warm in red and ermine; / their feet were well wrapped up / in the ladies' ermine trains. / They invited Arthur to be / the smallest page at court. / But how could Arthur go, / clutching his tiny lily, / with his eyes shut up so tight / and the roads deep in snow?”

  • Repetition

    

    

    

    

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    Where repetition appears in the poem:

    • Line 1: “cold, cold”
    • Line 8: “stuffed”
    • Line 9: “stuffed”
    • Lines 9-10: “Uncle / Arthur, Arthur's”
    • Line 11: “Uncle Arthur”
    • Line 15: “white, frozen lake,”
    • Line 18: “cold”
    • Line 19: “his eyes,” “red”
    • Line 21: “Come”
    • Line 22: “Come”
    • Line 23: “little,” “Arthur”
    • Line 25: “lily”
    • Line 26: “Arthur's”
    • Line 27: “Arthur's”
    • Line 28: “little”
    • Line 29: “red-eyed”
    • Line 30: “white, frozen lake.”
    • Line 31: “Arthur”
    • Line 32: “white”
    • Line 36: “Forever”
    • Line 38: “red”
    • Line 40: “white,” “forever”
    • Line 42: “red,” “ermine”
    • Line 44: “ermine”
    • Line 45: “Arthur”
    • Line 47: “Arthur”
    • Line 48: “lily”
    • Line 49: “his eyes”

• “First Death in Nova Scotia” Vocabulary

  Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • Parlor
  • Chromographs
  • Edward, Prince of Wales; Princess Alexandra; King George; Queen Mary
  • Stuffed loon
  • Kept his own counsel
  • Caressable
  • Lily of the valley
  • Jack Frost
  • The Maple Leaf (Forever)
  • Gracious
  • Ermine
  • Trains
  • Page
  • Court
  • (Location in poem: Line 1: “In the cold, cold parlor”)

• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “First Death in Nova Scotia”

  • Form

  • Meter

  • Rhyme Scheme

• “First Death in Nova Scotia” Speaker

• “First Death in Nova Scotia” Setting

• Literary and Historical Context of “First Death in Nova Scotia”

• More “First Death in Nova Scotia” Resources

  • External Resources

    • The Poet's Life — Read a biography of Elizabeth Bishop at the Poetry Foundation.

    • The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of "First Death in Nova Scotia."

    • Bishop in Nova Scotia — Check out the biography, photos, and other resources offered by the Elizabeth Bishop Society of Nova Scotia.

    • A Bishop Documentary — Watch a short film about Bishop's life and art.

  • LitCharts on Other Poems by Elizabeth Bishop

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    • Filling Station

    • One Art

    • Sestina

    • The Fish

    • The Man-Moth

    • The Mountain

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