Poem ''If I must go''
''If I must go, to heaven's end
Climbing the ages like a stair,
Be near me and forever bend
With the same eyes above me there
Time will fly past us like leaves flying
We shall not heed, for we shall be
Beyond living, beyond dying
Knowing and known unchangeably.''

The poem above is the sole authorship of Sara Teasdale. I have got two questions concerning it:

1) What does the expression ''above me there'' mean in the context above?
2) What is the meaning of ''fly past'' in the phrase ''Time will fly past us...''?

Additional question: Did I write it correctly when I said: ''... is the sole authorship of...''?

Thank you very much.

Question

Poem ''If I must go''
''If I must go, to heaven's end
Climbing the ages like a stair,
Be near me and forever bend
With the same eyes above me there
Time will fly past us like leaves flying
We shall not heed, for we shall be
Beyond living, beyond dying
Knowing and known unchangeably.''

The poem above is the sole authorship of Sara Teasdale. I have got two questions concerning it:

1) What does the expression ''above me there'' mean in the context above?
2) What is the meaning of ''fly past'' in the phrase ''Time will fly past us...''?

Additional question: Did I write it correctly when I said: ''... is the sole authorship of...''?

Thank you very much.

Answer

1) In the context of the poem, the phrase "above me there" refers to a pair of eyes above the speaker, most likely in heaven. Thus, it is probably referring to some lost loved one in heaven who is watching over the speaker.

2) "Time will fly past" is a figure of speech meaning that time will past by quickly.

Sole authorship is grammatically correct but it's a bit formal and stiff sounding. Just saying the poem is written by Sara Teasdale should be enough.

Answer

Thank you very much, my friend! You really made it clear to me!

Answer

1) Bend probably refers to the speaker wishing the person in heaven to "bend" and look downwards towards her. With the same eyes probably either means the speaker recalling the eyes she remembers from when she spent time with her loved one or it could mean the speaker wishing her deceased loved one to look at her the same way as her loved one did when he/she was alive.

2)It most likely does.

Answer

Thank you very much, Mark Chen!

Furthermore, I should like to ask you two more questions: 
1) What does it mean to say ''Bend with the same eyes...''?
2) Does ''above me there'' have the same meaning in the poem below:

''If I should fade, beside Wrath
Climbing down the stairs, to meet Death;
Be far from me and ne'er care
To turn your eyes above me there.''

Answer

1) In the context of the poem, the phrase "above me there" refers to a pair of eyes above the speaker, most likely in heaven. Thus, it is probably referring to some lost loved one in heaven who is watching over the speaker.

2) "Time will fly past" is a figure of speech meaning that time will past by quickly.

Sole authorship is grammatically correct but it's a bit formal and stiff sounding. Just saying the poem is written by Sara Teasdale should be enough.

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