The Unquiet Grave Analysis

Subject Matter – “I'll sit and mourn all at her grave” “For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips, And that is all I seek.” A man has lost his loved one and as he sits at her grave he wishes he could kiss her one last time.

Refrain – “true-love” “clay-cold lips” The ballad repeats these lines three times each throughout the ballad.

Omission of Details – “As any young man may” The ballad never gives either the man or the woman character a name.

Colloquialisms – “The twelvemonth and a day” “'Tis I, my love” Nowadays, most people do not use the words “tis” to say “it is” or “twelvemonth” to describe “December” or a year.

Question/Answer – “Oh who sits weeping on my grave, And will not let me sleep?” The dead woman is asking who is crying at her grave and her lover responds, “'Tis I, my love, sits on your grave, And will not let you sleep”.

Lack of Emotion – “But the call of death is strong; If you have one kiss of my clay-cold lips, Your time will not be long.” The woman, instead of feeling sad that she is dead and cannot be with her lover, is practical about their situation.

Domestic Setting – “Oh who sits weeping on my grave, And will not let me sleep?" 'Tis I, my love, sits on your grave, And will not let you sleep; For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips, And that is all I seek." The young man and his dead lover are speaking to each other.

Supernatural Events – “The dead began to speak” The young man’s lover begins to talk to him somehow even though she is dead.