Tag Archives: Poetry about Death

“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” by Alan Seeger

A young poet foretells his own death

Poet Alan Seeger wrote “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” sometime during World War I. His premonition proved accurate. Seeger was shot in the stomach and died in 1916 during the Battle of Somme. The first few lines of “I Have … Continue reading

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“Death has this much to be said for it: You don’t have to get out of bed for it. Wherever you happen to be, they bring it to you — free.”

- Kingsley Amis
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“I’m Here” by James P. Graham

A dead mother speaks to her child from the grave

“I’m Here” is a poem by James P. Graham. The author was just 17 when his mother died, and his little sister was 3. He wrote “I’m Here” so that his sister could remember their mother and how much she … Continue reading

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“Bereavement,” By Percy Bysshe Shelley

Shelley's poem describes one man's intense grief

Percy Bysshe Shelley is known as one of the preeminent Romantic English poets of the 19th century. Though he only lived to be 29 years old, he is regarded by many to be one of the most influential poets of the English … Continue reading

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“To An Athlete Dying Young” by A.E. Housman

The benefits of living a short life

Alfred Edward Housman’s poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” was published in 1896. Housman was a professor of Latin at the University of London and, finally, at Cambridge. His sad, pessimistic poems spoke to a generation on the brink of … Continue reading

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Death in Hospice, as Told through the Eyes of a Poet and an Artist

Artist Nari Ward reflects on Carol Muske-Dukes' death poetry

It’s not often that we get to see two artists collaborate on a single subject, especially artists that come from entirely different disciplines. Carol Muske-Dukes is the former poet-laureate of California, whose work touches on women’s experiences and the value of … Continue reading

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