The ‘treatment’ of death Essay Example

sorrow or grief from the author throughout the entire poem.

The young boy is experiencing death for the first time and feels overwhelmed and confused by the day's events. He comes face to face with the reality of death and how it affects his family, while feeling embarrassed by the constant influx of adult visitors offering condolences. In stanza five, Heaney portrays his mother as deeply saddened and anguished, expressing her distress through "tearless sighs." The poet is more interested in observing the reactions of his relatives and community than focusing on his own loss. In stanza six, upon entering the room where his brother's body lies, he only takes notice of surrounding details - such as bruises, coffin, snowdrops, and candles.

The boy doesn't cry, but seems shocked. The two stanzas have vivid descriptions of the items near the coffin as symbols of the boy's innocence and purity. "Candles soothed the bedside" implies soft, gentle lighting calming the bedspread and wallpaper. Snowdrops represent purity and small, white beauty, while a poppy bruise represents another symbol of flowers.

Poppies symbolize youth lost in war and express grief and regret for a life cut short before its time. The vibrant red color of the poppy is reminiscent of anger and injury, evoking the image of a bruise. Throughout the poem, Heaney uses three-line stanzas with 10 or 11 syllables, but the final line stands alone as a powerful observation. He notes that the boy's coffin is only four feet long, reflecting his young age. The alliteration in "a four foot box, a foot for every year" emphasizes this tragic fact and subtly conveys the boy's tender age of

just four years old.

The rhythm of the poem is enhanced by the alliteration, which also mirrors the sudden and abrupt ending of a young life. The descriptive language throughout the poem effectively portrays the shock of discovering a brother's horrific death in a car accident, as well as the young boy's first encounter with bereavement. The poet skillfully captures the profound mystery of death and conveys how a young boy may feel about it. This memory remains indelible for the poet, as evidenced by his powerful expression of it through this poem. "A four foot box, a foot for every year" is my favorite line and serves as a striking conclusion to the piece.

The line that stands out to me is the one that reveals the young boy's death at the age of only 4. Its chilling and shocking impact lingers in the mind long after reading it. Moving on, "In Memory of my Mother" by Patrick Kavanagh portrays a son's remembrance of fond moments with his now-deceased mother. As indicated by its title, Kavanagh wrote this poem to honor his beloved mother who meant so much to him and his family.

The poet utilizes casual language, resembling that of everyday conversation, although they are the sole speaker. The first stanza features the phrase "I do not think of you lying in the wet clay of a Monaghan graveyard," which signals the poet's unwillingness to forget their mother and belief that her memory lives on in their mind and in the hearts of those who loved her. The stanza has an optimistic outlook on death as the poet envisions their mother undertaking common tasks like

"walking down the lane among the poplars on your way to the station."

The colloquial language used in these stanzas is exemplified by its rhythm. Additionally, the second stanza features alliteration and a reference to the poet's mother attending Mass on a summer Sunday due to her religious beliefs.

The poet's mother is portrayed as both practical and good-hearted in the continuing stanza, as seen in the line "Don't forget to see about the cattle-" and the poignant line "Among your earthiest words the angels stray." In stanza three, the mother is depicted as calm and contented with a joyful life, as the poet reminisces about her walking on a green oat headland in June. The fourth stanza recounts a chance encounter between mother and son in town, where they stroll "together through the shop and stalls and markets free in the oriental streets of thought." This serves as yet another example of their profound connection and shared poetic sensibilities.

Throughout the poem, there is a prevalent mood of love and warmth that is exemplified in the final stanza with the line "O you are not lying in the wet clay, for it is harvest evening now and we are piling up the ricks against the moonlight and you smile up at us - eternally," which still showcases the positive visions the narrator has of his mother. The son reflects on six distinct memories of his mother when she was alive and describes her as practical and content. He also notes that she was not confined to the house, but rather played an active role in managing her farm.

In the untitled poem by Emily Dickinson,

death is depicted in a serene and optimistic manner. The line that resonates with me the most is "... so full of repose, so rich with life" as it portrays the mother as a vibrant, content individual who is deeply missed by her son and loved ones.

The poem written by Dickinson presents her perspective on the afterlife, which is both terrifying and troubling. However, it also involves religious undertones as it speaks about eternity and immortality. The initial stanza portrays the notion that people are too engaged to ponder about death. Thus, death is compelled to come forward and take over. The phrase "Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me" is peculiar yet attention-grabbing. In the second stanza, Dickinson reveals her belief that death is a gradual process rather than an abrupt conclusion.

"As we drove slowly, with no rush in his demeanor, it became apparent during this journey to eternity that typical human activities lose importance. In his civility, I abandoned both my work and leisure as stanza two describes. Moving onto stanza three, the carriage progresses through various stages of human existence, passing by schools where children play during recess in a circle, and fields of observing grain, finally reaching the point where the sun sets."

As the speaker nears death, she perceives the objects surrounding her as though they are alive. Even the fields of ripening grain, commonly a symbol of maturity, seem to gaze calmly toward the carriage in which she travels. Meanwhile, the children at the school lack such serenity. As the journey toward eternity progresses, in stanza four, the speaker becomes increasingly cold; "The

Dews drew quivering and chill," as she is left defenseless against the mortal experience. In stanza five, the carriage pauses in front of a house "that seemed a swelling in the ground," which is revealed to be a grave instead of a comforting and secure home.

The speaker observes the burial vault, scarcely visible in the ground with only the cornice showing. The final stanza expresses the feeling of a journey lasting for centuries, but seeming shorter than a day. The carriage does not stop at the grave, but rather the horses' heads point towards eternity. The poem's vivid and lasting imagery emphasizes the realization that eternity is present, and what sets this poem apart is the absence of God. "I first surmised the horses' heads were toward eternity."

Despite its reassurance that there is a better place after death, this poem is both chilling and frightening. The line "We passed the setting sun" is particularly poignant to me because it uses the common symbol of old age to represent life's end. While the image of the sun setting might evoke joy and happiness, in this context it is a sad and melancholy image.

The poems "Mid-Term Break," "In Memory of my Mother," and "Because I could not stop for Death..." all have different perspectives on death. While the first poem presents a mournful and negative viewpoint, the latter two offer more positive outlooks. The theme of "Mid-Term Break" deals with the premature loss of a young family member, making it significantly gloomier than the others. On the other hand, while "In Memory of my Mother" discusses losing a loved one, it is not portrayed as tragic

since it was due to natural causes such as old age.

Both "Because I could not stop for Death" and "In Memory of My Mother" are poems about the poets' personal experiences with death. However, the former is optimistic, exploring the afterlife, immortality and eternity, while the latter is a nostalgic reflection on the life of the deceased, and the everyday tasks she engaged in, such as shopping and farming. In contrast, "Mid-Term Break" is an account of a death in the family home, with three stanzas dedicated to the boy who died and the remainder focusing on the atmosphere created by his passing. These three poems present different perspectives on death and do not share similar views.

Both "Mid-Term Break" by Seamus Heaney and "In Memory of my Mother" share the similarity of being written in memory of specific family members. Despite this commonality, I prefer the poignant and emotive poem "Mid-Term Break". The authenticity of the poem is derived from it being based on Heaney's personal experience, making it very genuine. Through expertly portraying his memories, Heaney recounts the tragedy of losing his four-year-old brother. The narrative-like structure makes the poem all the more touching and relatable to readers.

The poet's story progresses, evoking increasing heartbreak as one considers the pain and devastation suffered by him and his family. The fact that he composed this poem with great detail long after the tragedy suggests that the memory remains vividly alive within him and will never fade. It is the authenticity of this poem that makes it my favorite, its meticulous depiction of events deeply moved me, eliciting sincere sympathy for those who had to face such

a harrowing ordeal.