Quotation: “Jack Frost had started to paint him the way he always painted the Maple Leaf (Forever).”
Comment: I found these two stanzas very interesting because of their relation to the setting, which if taken from the title, is Nova Scotia. Jack Frost is a character typically associated with the winter time due to his freezing and ice powers. When I hear the word “paint” I think of a light white frost on leaves in the winter time. In the poem, this leaf is a Maple leaf. The Maple leaf is strongly associated with Canadian culture and even is displayed on their national flag. The most interesting part of these stanzas then comes at the end with (Forever). I still and wondering the context of what this means. The idea I have right now is possibly the idea of eternity and memory. The main character/speaker is in attendance of a funeral for his little cousin Arthur. Therefore, the addition of this line most likely is in relation to the funeral taking place.
Question: What is the connection between winter and death? What is the meaning behind (Forever)? Why is Jack Frost significant to the poem?
