Faces of Death
Just as people interpret the same painting differently, death is perceived in many ways from different people. The attitude of the dying to the tone of the family, friends and innocent bystanders can very dramatically. Some cultures celebrate the death of a loved one, others morn. Coping with the stress from a death can be more than some can bear, but to others it is a relief. Poems can bring out the different views of society and the authors by the persona of the character. Death does not have to be in the literalist of sense. A. C. Housman pointed this out in "To an Athlete Dying Young". A picture is developed of an athlete running a race with the town there to cheer "through the market-place" (496). Upon the death of the once town hero he is still honored by being carried through the town upon their shoulders as he once was as their champion. When the race of life is over and the glory fades a "still-defended challenge cup" (496) was displayed above a door, as if the goals and dreams were put on the shelf. The author takes on the persona of a bystander. In "Ozymandias" written by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the author is the speaker who meets a travel
When it comes down to it, there are a few people left in this world who would rather spend their last days on this fantastic Ship then live the life they are living now. The author used personification in bringing the words engraved on the tomb to life. It was once thought that by stopping the clocks (520) and silencing the sounds of daily life you were being respectful to the dead and their loved ones. The irony of the poem is brought out in the first few lines by stating, "If they sold passage tomorrow for that same crossing, who would not buy?" (563). The world has many ways to deal with the realities of death: morning, sarcasms, anger and many others. We do not wish to see what life still has to offer us as a living person. Just from the title, "The Titanic", a picture of a large magnificent boat comes to mind (563). The worst part about this kind of death is all 3in your mind. The traveler tells of the remains of a king named "Ozymandias" (487). This was hard to dissect and understand fully. By wanting them snuffed out we are shutting out what little joy we may find left in life. Our sorrow can be so great that like in the poem "For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Common topics in this essay:
David Slavitt,
Bysshe Shelley,
WH Auden,
Athlete Dying,
,
deal death,
life offer,
spend days,
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