LITTLE ELEGY FOR A CHILD WHO SKIPPED ROPE

It is a lovely little poem! Have you the author?

I am not quite sure what you mean by interpreting the poem.

Have you specific questions?

It is, of course, likening skipping, which the little girl used to love to do, to the turning of the earth - and comparing her death (being tripped up by the circles of the earth - the whirring edge of night) - with having been tripped up by a skipping rope.

Thus her death is described as

"resting, out of breath,
out of turns"

in the earth which has figuratively tripped her up.

The earth which "tripped" her, (by symbolizing the passing of time) now shelters her - and the poet hopes that she will live again, if death, in its turn, is also tripped - ie dies.

The rhythm of the poem suggests skipping - each line a turn of the rope, and I find the slight irregularities of the rhythm also suggest the tension of nearly tripping - of the effort involved.

The poem is, itself, also a neat little circle - like the movement of the rope - and of the earth.

In terms of metaphors, similes, themes, how the author feels, tone of the poem, poetic techniques, symbols

X. J. Kennedy wrote the poem. Here is a Website with his bio:

http://www.thehypertexts.com/X%20.%20J.%20Kennedy%20Poetry%20Picture%20and%20Bio.htm