When she says "bodkin" she means "needles", and it's metaphor of rain: The raindrops (the "needles") make a "pitter-patter" sound on the roof (like tapping).
Now, I don't know if this is right, but I think the decissive verse is the "sombre, soaked velvet drape" which hungs upon her, I mean, if it's soaked, is she outside in the rain? I kinda thought the "drape" thing was a black umbrella ("velvet" and "sombre") and she's like in the rooftop thinking what'd be like to be brave and tell him all the crap he's been doing, but she later decides it'd be the same (he'd ask her forgiveness and she'd comply 'cause she loves him)... or, maybe she guess that if she tells him, he'll finally end up killing her somehow. "By a dint of smite I gait, before I run and melt (al)together, with dusk", implying she was hit violently, what she's probably walking away of, to finally fall and lay there "melting and running with dusk".
And, saying other thing, she actually says "...I gait BEFORE I run and melt together...". The only difference though, is only phonologycal, 'cause "ere" means "before" anyways.
When she says "bodkin" she means "needles", and it's metaphor of rain: The raindrops (the "needles") make a "pitter-patter" sound on the roof (like tapping).
Now, I don't know if this is right, but I think the decissive verse is the "sombre, soaked velvet drape" which hungs upon her, I mean, if it's soaked, is she outside in the rain? I kinda thought the "drape" thing was a black umbrella ("velvet" and "sombre") and she's like in the rooftop thinking what'd be like to be brave and tell him all the crap he's been doing, but she later decides it'd be the same (he'd ask her forgiveness and she'd comply 'cause she loves him)... or, maybe she guess that if she tells him, he'll finally end up killing her somehow. "By a dint of smite I gait, before I run and melt (al)together, with dusk", implying she was hit violently, what she's probably walking away of, to finally fall and lay there "melting and running with dusk".
And, saying other thing, she actually says "...I gait BEFORE I run and melt together...". The only difference though, is only phonologycal, 'cause "ere" means "before" anyways.