Let's start with a literal element that's not explicit in the poem but that I would argue is implicit.
Skating on a river is a risky act, especially if one is skating alone. The current keeps the ice from growing as thick as it does on lakes, and the thin spots barely reveal themselves until you're on them and you hear ice the crack.
So the N. is not being morbid. She's acknowledging that she's doing something dangerous, but something that she finds exciting. Knowing a little about the poet, I'm reading the risk and the excitement as related to her lesbianism.
There's probably a lot more to say, but there's a beginning.
|