Fading In Extremis

Before delving into the content of the poem “fading in extremis,” it is important to uncover the meaning of the poem’s title—particularly the phrase “in extremis.” The phrase itself is a Latin medical term, and in the context of the poem, it means “at the point of death.” Combining the phrase with the previous word “fading” creates the heading: “fading at the brink of death.” As the translated title indicates, this poem deals with the concept of an individual—the speaker—living out his or her final moments before succumbing to death. The most unsettling nature about the poem, “fading in extremis,” is the desperation that the speaker experiences throughout the whole piece, and the overpowering desperation that eclipses any other thought in the

The rhymes help the speaker detail his or her musings concerning betrayal, unfinished ambitions, and the desire to live. Particularly in the first stanza, the rhyming of “die” and “lie” sets a discomforting undertone that pervades the rest of the piece through the two words’ negative connotations. It hints at the idea that the speaker is in a dark place in his or her life—perhaps both mentally and physically. The rhymes in the second stanza serves to unveils the suspicious discomfort, and it becomes apparent in this stanza that the speaker is incredibly ambitious. There is so much that the speaker “wants to Achieve” despite the thought of death looming over him or her. The poem’s third stanza utilizes the rhymes “please” and “leave” to emphasize the speaker’s desperation to live. He or she is pleading, confessing his or her reluctance to embrace death. The break in the pattern of end rhymes in the fourth stanza serves to reveal the breakdown of the speaker’s coherent thoughts—implying that the speaker fails to fight against his or her