The poem begins in a descriptive rather than narrative manner, and it is not until the line ``When Lucy ceased to be'' that the reader is made aware that the subject of the verse has died. Literary scholar Mark Jones describes this effect as finding the poem is ``over before it has begun'', while according to writer Margaret Oliphant (1828--1897), Lucy ``is dead before we so much as heard of her''.
The poem begins in a descriptive rather than narrative manner, and it is not until the line ``When Lucy ceased to be'' that the reader is made aware that the subject of the verse has died.
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
The
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
poem
poem
NOUN
NN
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
begin
begins
VERB
VBZ
case
in
in
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
descriptive
descriptive
ADJ
JJ
cc
rather
rather
ADV
RB
fixed
than
than
ADP
IN
conj
Degree=Pos
narrative
narrative
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Sing
manner
manner
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
it
it
PRON
PRP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
advmod
not
not
PART
RB
case
until
until
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
conj
Number=Sing
line
line
NOUN
NN
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
advmod
PronType=Int
when
When
ADV
WRB
nsubj
Number=Sing
Lucy
Lucy
PROPN
NNP
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
cease
ceased
VERB
VBD
mark
to
to
PART
TO
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
be''
be''
VERB
VB
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nsubj:pass
Number=Sing
reader
reader
NOUN
NN
aux:pass
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
ccomp
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass
make
made
VERB
VBN
xcomp
Degree=Pos
aware
aware
ADJ
JJ
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
subject
subject
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nmod
Number=Sing
verse
verse
NOUN
NN
aux
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
have
has
AUX
VBZ
ccomp
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part
die
died
VERB
VBN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
Literary scholar Mark Jones describes this effect as finding the poem is ``over before it has begun'', while according to writer Margaret Oliphant (1828--1897), Lucy ``is dead before we so much as heard of her''.
amod
Degree=Pos
literary
Literary
ADJ
JJ
nsubj
Number=Sing
scholar
scholar
NOUN
NN
flat
Number=Sing
Mark
Mark
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Jones
Jones
PROPN
NNP
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
describe
describes
VERB
VBZ
det
Number=Sing|PronType=Dem
this
this
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
effect
effect
NOUN
NN
mark
as
as
SCONJ
IN
csubj
VerbForm=Ger
find
finding
VERB
VBG
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
poem
poem
NOUN
NN
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
punct
`
`
PUNCT
``
advcl
Degree=Pos
`over
`over
ADJ
JJ
mark
before
before
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
it
it
PRON
PRP
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
have
has
VERB
VBZ
obj
Number=Sing
begun''
begun''
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
while
while
SCONJ
IN
case
ExtPos=ADP|VerbForm=Ger
accord
according
VERB
VBG
fixed
to
to
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
writer
writer
NOUN
NN
flat
Number=Sing
Margaret
Margaret
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
Oliphant
Oliphant
PROPN
NNP
punct
(
(
PUNCT
-LRB-
nmod:tmod
NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card
1828
1828
NUM
CD
case
-
-
SYM
SYM
case
-
-
SYM
SYM
nmod
NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card
1897
1897
NUM
CD
punct
)
)
PUNCT
-RRB-
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
Number=Sing
Lucy
Lucy
PROPN
NNP
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
advcl
Degree=Pos
dead
dead
ADJ
JJ
mark
before
before
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs
we
we
PRON
PRP
advmod
so
so
ADV
RB
advcl
Degree=Pos
much
much
ADV
RB
mark
as
as
SCONJ
IN
advcl
Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
hear
heard
VERB
VBN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
her'
her'
NOUN
NN
punct
'
'
PUNCT
''
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.