Vocabulary in Eden Rock

In a place that exists on the other side of a boundary, here suggesting a realm after death that cannot be precisely located or named.

Holds a hand up above the eyes to block the sun's glare, making it easier to see something in the distance.

A phrase expressing that the speaker can only guess or infer what he is seeing, suggesting the scene has a dreamlike or uncertain quality rather than solid reality.

Describing a hat whose brim extends far out from the crown on all sides, giving broad shade to the face and shoulders.

A brand-name vacuum flask designed to keep liquids hot or cold for many hours, commonly used for carrying tea on outings.

Decorated with a small repeated pattern of sprigs — tiny stems with leaves or flowers — printed or woven into fabric.

Moves forward in large, energetic leaps; used here to describe the lively, carefree movement of the dog running ahead.

A small, naturally flowing body of water; in this poem it also functions as the boundary between the speaker's living world and the place where his parents wait.

The act of moving from one side of the stream to the other; in the poem's larger sense, the transition from life to death.

Easier to do than one would expect or fear; the parents reassure the speaker that the passage ahead requires less effort or courage than he imagines.

Perfectly peaceful and pleasant in a way that feels almost too good to be real, like a scene from an idealized, carefree past.