Tag Archives: Poetry

“The Cancer Journals,” by Audre Lorde

The poet's experiences with breast cancer, mastectomy sugery and coming to terms with her diagnosis

“The Cancer Journals” by Audre Lorde is an extremely personal account of one woman’s experience with breast cancer and the plethora of emotions that accompany a cancer diagnosis. The book weaves her personal journal entries together with a more traditional … Continue reading

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“Cemetry Gates,” by The Smiths

Song touches on the unfairness of death, yet ultimately is about love

“Cemetry Gates” by The Smiths is, on the surface, a song about two people who enter a cemetery to examine the gravestones. However, there are numerous ways in which you can dissect the deeper meanings that singer-songwriter Morrissey may have … Continue reading

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“Because I Could Not Stop For Death” by Emily Dickinson

A poem that describes an encounter with mortality

“Because I could not stop for death He kindly stopped for me The carriage held but just ourselves And immortality.” Emily Dickinson, born in 1830, was in many ways a living contradiction. She was raised in a Calvinist, orthodox, conservative … 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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“Memorial to D.C.” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Poem to a lost friend evokes love and longing

There is an old joke among writers that nobody likes to write but everybody likes to have written. Nothing could have been further from the truth for poet and playwright Edna St. Vincent Millay (1889-1950). Her love affair with words began … Continue reading

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“Bodies in Motion and at Rest” by Thomas Lynch

Essays touch on life, death and the author's 30+ years of experience in the funeral home industry

Thomas Lynch  is both a published poet and funeral director, and these two facets of his persona are on full display in his book of essays, “Bodies in Motion and at Rest.” Published in 2000, the collection contains discussions and … Continue reading

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