How we cite our quotes: [Stanzas. Lines]
Quote #4
There'll be that Dark Parade —
Of Tassels — and of Coaches — soon — (20-21)
Like clockwork, the course of a death in 19th-century New England was familiar and predictable. In a place and time when the average life expectancy was under 40 years, it was good to know that there were conventions and formalities that you could count on. It might be dark, but there would still be a parade. With the tassels and coaches, there was a certain beauty and justice to how the end played out.