Question

sonnet i by gwendolyn bennett
he came in silver armour, trimmed with black—
a lover come from legends long ago—
with silver spurs and silken plumes a - blow,
and flashing sword caught fast and buckled back
in a carven sheath of tamarack.
he came with footsteps beautifully slow,
and spoke in voice meticulously low.
he came and romance followed in his track...
i did not ask his name—i thought him love;
i did not care to see his hidden face.
all life seemed born in my intaken breath;
all thought seemed flown like some forgotten dove.
he bent to kiss and raised his visors lace...
all eager - lipped i kissed the mouth of death.
this poem is in the public domain.
annotation key
underline bold\thighlight\tnote
underline and bold word choice that builds up to a dark theme.\thighlight the rhyme scheme using color coding.\tnote your personal insight or reaction to lines in each poem

Explanation:

1. Underline and bold word choice for dark - theme: Words like "Death" in "All eager - lipped I kissed the mouth of Death" can be underlined and bolded as they contribute to the dark theme. The description of the lover coming in silver armour with a sword also sets a somewhat ominous tone.
2. Highlighting rhyme scheme: The poem is a sonnet. The rhyme scheme can be color - coded. For example, in a Shakespearean sonnet, the rhyme scheme is typically ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. We can assign a different color to each rhyme sound. For instance, "black" (A) and "back" (A), "ago" (B) and "blow" (B) etc.
3. Personal insight/note: One might note the contrast between the romantic build - up of the lover as a figure from legends and the sudden and shocking revelation that the kiss is with "Death". It creates a sense of disillusionment and subverts the typical romantic sonnet form.

Answer:

1. Underline and bold "Death" and other relevant words like "sword", "armour" for dark - theme build - up.
2. Color - code the rhyme scheme according to the pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
3. Note the contrast between romantic build - up and the dark revelation as a personal insight.