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Jan 29, 2024 · Do not stand. By my grave, and cry—. I am not there, I did not die. 2. There Is No Night Without A Dawning by Helen Steiner Rice. This short poem is a popular choice for funerals because it reminds us that despite the death of someone we cared about, the darkness of our grief will pass.
- “Lady Lazarus,” Sylvia Plath. The sounds alone are enough to keep me alive, the language pulling away from meaning like flesh from bone (“Soon, soon the flesh/ The grave cave ate will be/ At home on me // And I a smiling woman.”)
- “The Big Loser,” Max Ritvo. Ritvo is now famous not only for his poetry but for his sweetness in the face of death. This poem is one of many bittersweet lenses on the life he was getting ready to leave.
- “If I should die,” Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson wrote about death a lot, and a number of her poems would fit in this category. I chose this one for its cheer, its cuteness as it imagines how nice life will be for everyone else after the speaker’s death—plus, you don’t get too many death poems that end in exclamation marks.
- “The Mower,” Philip Larkin. Here, Larkin takes a small, everyday death and blows it up to the size of the human condition. The last couplet makes me want to cry—but it also makes me want to go out into the world and make friends with it.
The poem's soothing tone and imagery convey a sense of acceptance and tranquility, inviting readers to embrace death as a natural part of life. Excerpt: Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.
Poetry has always been a medium for expressing the complexity of the human experience, and the thematic exploration of death and life remains an enduring subject. Whether through Dickinson's gentle carriage ride, Shakespeare's transient shadows, or Hughes' resilience, these poems offer insights into the profound interconnectedness of death and life.
- Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep. By Mary Elizabeth Frye. In this famous poem, Mary Frye talks about death in a welcoming tone. Frye uses her words to comfort and bring solace to people who would grieve and cry when she passes away.
- There Is No Night Without A Dawning. By Helen Steiner Rice. Helen Rice’s short poem tells us that even though someone we love and care about has passed away, the darkness we experience when we grieve will pass.
- When Great Trees Fall. By Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou’s poetry talks about death as a sad but inevitable part of human life. Angelou doesn’t shy away from the painful and tragic feelings that come with losing someone close to you.
- Because I Could Not Stop For Death. By Emily Dickinson. One of Emily Dickinson’s most celebrated poems tells a story of how Death, who she has personified as a gentleman, has taken her for a ride in his carriage to her place in the afterlife.
Death is an inherent part of life, a universal experience that touches us all. While it may seem paradoxical, poetry has long held the power to inspire and bring solace when contemplating the mysteries of mortality. Poets throughout history have explored death with a unique blend of curiosity, acceptance, and even celebration.
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What is the theme of the poem Mortality?
The main topic of Turner's poem is mortality, or more specifically, the understanding that death is an inevitable part of life. Rather than find this a bleak reality, the speaker looks at the fly's passing as a rousing reminder to embrace the "peril...beside us day by day."
