Life, Death and Poetry
Poetry expresses a good deal of ideas regarding the different aspects of life. Aside from life, poetry also expresses the reality of experiencing death. Death can be caused by a variety of factors, and is expressed in poems in a myriad of ways, such that different authors can express its concept by using similes, metaphors, and other forms of speech. Death is an important element in literature, specifically in poetry, as its expression becomes dramatic and meaningful not only to the authors who wrote them, but also to their readers. This essay discusses a number of poems, which talks about death and represents it in different ways. It compares them in terms of representing death and the symbols used in the poems.
Two poems entitled “Ground Swell” by Mark Jarman and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen represent loss through death in relation to wars or battles. In the poem “Ground Swell”, loss was represented through the remembrance of the fifteen-year old boy of an older boy, who died from war. The indication that the name of the older boy was already carved “on the black wall in Washington” and the statement saying that, “he came home in a bag that may have mixed in pieces of his squad” ( 2007) creatively depicts the death of a soldier, from which the memory of the young boy comes from. Similarly, in the poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”, loss is being represented through dying for one’s country, which is being described in detail in the poem. Loss or death is being depicted gloriously if it is for the love and defense of one’s country. In the poem “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, death was represented creatively through understanding that death is inevitable ( 2007). In the poem by Octavio Paz entitled “The Street”, death can be represented as something that chases us, such as how someone or something chases the author in the poem. In the poem by William Shakespeare entitled “Act 5, Scene 5” from Macbeth, loss is represented by the death of Lady Macbeth in the play, and this death made Macbeth realize the relation of life and death.
Death or loss of someone cannot be appreciated without remembering. In the poem by Jarman, the young boy remembered the older boy as the emotion of the poem shifted from a happy one to a sorrowful event. The young boy remembers the older boy when he heard the older boy called his name and all the events that he saw the boy when he was still alive, which led him to remember his death. In the poem by Owen, remembering death involves remembering all the experiences associated with the battle or war, such as seeing blood, losing their boots, experiencing extreme fatigue, and yelling and stumbling ( 1999). Similarly, in the poem made by Thomas, death is being remembered through recognition of old age, which can be the primary cause of death. Remembrance is also through the description of characteristics associated with youth, such as singing under the sun, cursing and blessing, and having happy eyes that could blaze like meteors ( 2007). In the poem by Paz, remembering death is described through the action of the character in the poem of turning behind him or her and seeing nothing but darkness ( 2004). In the poem by Shakespeare, death is remembered as being a great loss to Macbeth, when Lady Macbeth died. Because of her death, Macbeth has enabled to realize the connection of life and death.
Both the poems of Jarman and Owen clearly eradicate the gap between language and the reality of life and of death through their clear and ingenious description of events that expresses reality and death. These poems describe that wars or battles are the causes of death of men during those times when the poems were written, and the use of words and expressions have been successful in making the readers realize the emotions articulated by the authors. In contrast to deaths caused by wars, death can also be brought by old age, sickness or homicide, as implied by the poems of Thomas, Paz and Shakespeare. Language, such as the use and order of words enabled the readers of the poem to feel the emotions portrayed by all the authors in their poem, and through this, the concepts of life and death can be clearly represented and understood.
Symbols in poetry are important to take note of, as these indicate the creativity of the authors and the efficiency in the understanding of their readers. In the poem of Jarman, a significant symbol is the “black wall in Washington”, which indicates the death of the soldiers because of the Vietnam War ( 2006). The black wall represents sorrow and grief of all the families of the young men who fought in the war. In the poem of Owen, among the number of symbols that can be interpreted, the most significant symbol for me is the “Five Nines” or the 5.9 caliber explosive shells ( 1999). This is significant because during those times (1917 – 1918), World War I is being experienced by citizens in many countries in Europe and the Americas. The caliber explosive shells symbolize death for they are the primary weapon used during the war. In the poem by Thomas, death is being symbolized by ‘night’ or ‘dying of the light’, as death is associated with eternal sleeping. Once a person has died, he or she will not be able to see the light of day. This symbol clearly represents death, as night is also associated with the commitment of crimes and murders that cause the death of many. In the poem made by Paz, death is being symbolized by someone or something that chases the person in the poem, as death “chases” us in reality. Although we cannot see death per se, at the back of our minds, we know that it will come in time. Lastly, in the poem by Shakespeare, death is symbolized by shadow. This is a good use of symbolism because shadows are seen behind an object struck by a light source, and symbolically, death is always behind us.
With the use of the analysis done previously, it can be deduced that the concept of death can be seen and understood with the use of the concepts and events of life and reality because theoretically, death is also reality. Death is not something that can be imaginary, as a myriad of real-life events cause the death or loss of many individuals in the society, and these real-life events are mentioned in the poems, including wars or battles, murder or suicide, old age, and sickness. These events are part and parcel of the reality of life and are inevitable, such that these problems cause the changes in the lives of many individuals. With these, it can be understood that death can be perceived as inevitable and must be prepared for in the same extent as preparing for life. Therefore, death must not be associated with sorrow or grief, as our dead relatives and friends now already belong to a much greater world beyond the imagination of the living.
References
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