Tag Archives: Poems about Death

“The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

When is following orders without question valiant?

When people seek poems about soldiers valiantly facing death, they often turn to “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It’s little wonder. The poet was so moved when he received news of the battle that inspired … Continue reading

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“Death of a Young Son by Drowning” by Margaret Atwood

The poem dives into the depths of parental grief

Margaret Atwood’s earthy poem, “Death of a Young Son by Drowning,” perfectly captures the life-altering heartache that comes after the loss of a child. Atwood’s words are abundant in texture, and her similes are bitingly accurate. This lends the poem … Continue reading

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Paul K. Joyce’s musical adaptation of Mary Elizabeth Frye’s “Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep.”

A composer sets the popular bereavement poem to music with hauntingly beautiful results

Since 1932, when florist and Baltimore-based homemaker Mary Elizabeth Frye wrote “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep,” quite a few musicians have felt compelled to set the poem to music. Frye’s wise, comforting lines have been transformed into … Continue reading

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“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

A bird that speaks only one word shreds a man's soul

Edgar Allan Poe published “The Raven” to mixed reviews in January of 1845. He was paid only a modest fee for his work, which did not become famous until well after his death five years later. The cause of Poe’s … Continue reading

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“For the Anniversary of My Death” by W. S. Merwin

A poet ponders the world without him in it

In “For the Anniversary of My Death,” American poet W.S. Merwin muses on life and his transient place in it. The poems beings, Every year without knowing it I have passed the day When the last fires will wave to … Continue reading

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”Halo” by Melissa Stein

A captivating poem that offers an intimate look at death

Melissa Stein is an incredibly talented author. The San Francisco poet’s work has been published in a variety of journals and anthologies, and for good reason. Her writing is visceral — the imagery it conjures is at once heartbreaking and uplifting. … Continue reading

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