The ailing woman is one of the greatest works by Rosalia de Castro, tells of a woman who was ready for her marking a given season, which did not match her predictions. The woman had predicted her death to happen in autumn as winter approached. Nevertheless, she had to go through the cruelty of life through the autumn until he finally met her death in spring. Melancholically, the poems present the idea of death, which is said to take the woman through its painful glory. “The ailing woman felt her forces ebb” characterizes the thoughts of the woman during her death bed in different seasons (da Rosa, 1954). Ironically, the ailing woman could see her end but the seasons had a different plan regarding her death.
The poem assumes various aspects that qualify a good poem. Castro personifies death, an aspect that suggests that death takes on the human characteristics of failure and vulnerability. Castro hints at the failing character of death although in different cases death is identified as an abstract and invisible concept. Referring to the ailing woman, the author describes, “In winter spared her life, and when anew”. She refers to death that spared the ailing woman’s life during the season but it had to come back in the next season and take the woman through its painful glory (da Rosa, 1954). Ideally, winter is the cold season, which is defined as an unforgiving cruel month among other seasons. Nevertheless, the poem identifies the winter season as a life-supporting period and a sustaining month.
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Moreover, the poem employs a distinct diction suggesting different aspects of life-based on emotions as caused by death. For instance, Castro contrasts between a mournful season and a joyous season between the autumn and winter month. The poem narrates about drop, grave and slew that depicts a mournful period that the ailing woman had gone through. On the other hand, the woman had been longing for a joyous, fair and merry season but death knocked at her doors at took her away. Death is said to, “slew her by inches to the joyous hymns/ of fair and merry spring.” Spring month is the best season when winter is gone and the climate is normal with good sunshine and warmth (da Rosa, 1954). The ailing woman was taken through the stressful and mourning season and died only after she was about to recover for the mourning.
The death of the ailing woman took place in a beautiful time of the year after she had gone through the bad season. This aspect could describe a different character of death as gentle. Although the ailing woman did not appreciate living so much longer since she anticipated that death could take her during winter, prolonging the death of the ailing woman presents a positive reinforcement by the death to allow the woman to live more days. The ailing woman had to survive through the mournful season and see the beauties of the new season; spring before death carried her away. The poem presents a distinct aspect of life and what actually takes place. No matter how an individual predicts on their future or want things to happen, life prepares different scenarios separate and distinct from the predictions made. In general, the poem relates to the life of the author. Death carried her away before she was fifty years old. Castro uses the poem to convey her wishes of freedom from the cunning death so that she can enjoy and have merry with her children before she died. However, the restricted roles of a woman that existed in the 18 th century and the death made her lead a mournful life hence the title, the ailing woman.
References
da Rosa, A. M. (1954). Rosalia de Castro, poeta incompreendido. Revista hispánica moderna , 20 , 181.
