John Ashbery's Poem 'Flowering Death'

Death is perhaps humans greatest enigma. It is inevitable, shrouded in mystery, and yet troublesomely peaceful. Greek philosopher Epicurus described humans greatest flaw to be that of the fear of death: “Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not”. Two notable novels, Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, both similarly analyze the complexities and consequences of death. Death and loss cause the collapse of human rationality and moral integrity thereby leading to the downfall of Agnes Magnusdottir and Grace Marks. Firstly, The traumatizing events of death of loved ones experienced by both protagonists early in their adolescence invoke the prolonged destruction of security and morality even later into their adulthood. Secondly, The alleged murders committed by Agnes and Grace result in deeply scarring events

For example, Hurst starts the exposition off with the utilization of dreary colors describing dead flowers in order to illustrate the dour mood before the conflict hits, by writing, “The flower garden was stained with rotting brown magnolia…” (384). In this case, live flowers could be thought of as representing life and the dead flowers could represent death. Then later on in the story, the narrator once again uses flowers to represent one of the things that he did to fight against his conflict, as shown in the quote, “I would gather wildflowers, wild violets, honeysuckle, yellow jasmine, snakeflowers, and waterlilies, and with wire grass we’d weave them into necklaces and crowns” (Hurst 387). In this example, the flowers that the narrator describes represent the fun that the brother has with Doodle. One way that the theme of this story is related to this symbol is the narrators use of flowers as being symbols of life or death, and when the ibis dies and Doodle buries it next to the petunia bed, the narrator relates to the death of the ibis by thinking of the flowers.

Despite any futile resistance, every living creature eventually succumbs to death. Ultimately, death is part of living. Death is inevitable. Likewise, although a diminutive moth may appear to be insignificant and pathetic, it can symbolize the true, many connections between the duality of life and death and human beings. For instance, Annie Dillard and Virginia Woolf illustrate similar, universal messages of the value of life through the metaphor of a moth. However, the manner in which they portray their themes and purpose varies, for their personal experiences and writing styles influence their provisions of life and death.

He is disgusted with the way the gentlefolks are handing themselves around nature, and the narrator wants the reader to picture in their mind the image he is seeing to illustrate his disdain for the gentlefolk in a different manner. Then along with that sees them as cold hearted and conscienceless, as the gentlefolk are able to do such things, as the speaker says,”...without a pang of remorse…” In lines 25-26 the narrator says,” Is its colour any prettier, or its scent any sweeter, when you do know.” This sarcastic statement illustrates that by cutting up a flower to comprehend what it is made of , no person can gain appreciation for its simplicity, being its colour and scent are natural. The gentlefolk would destroy such a thing as a flower, which poses no immediate gain by destroying it, the author shows great

In ‘I kneel to pick frail melancholy flowers among ashes and loam’ a tone of loneliness and sadness is established as the persona enters. Harwood describes the violets as ‘frail’ and ‘melancholy’, terms that arn’t usually associated with flowers. This is also explored in the juxtaposition of ‘ashes’ and ‘loam’. Ash is symbolic of death and decay which contradicts the ‘loam’, symbolic of life and birth. The persona’s dark and unpleasant perceptions reveal their uncertainty and state of mind. The present tense indicates the persona’s adulthood and their sense of longing and unsatisfaction conveyed through the nostalgic delivery of

In line 5 the idea of life and death are introduced using antithesis. The voice states that, “leaf blooms, burns red before delighted eyes.”, and is replied by the echo, “Dies” (Pack). The blooming leaf can be interpreted as either a blooming flower, which often represent life or beginnings, or as a blooming page of writing which follows the previous advice of the echo and the same metaphor as the flower. By the echo telling the voice dies, it is telling the voice that everything comes and goes, lives and dies.

Lastly, the final simile used, "And cancer, simple as a flower, blooms." compares something beautiful and full of life, with something horrible, an instrument of death. This is a very unusual simile; it is almost an oxymoron. It is almost sickening to think of cancer as a flower, as if something pure has been twisted into something perverse, this, however, is the poet's intention, to make the reader stop and think. In the

Death is something that at some point will come to each of us and has been explored in many forms of literature. “The Raven” and “Incident in a Rose Garden” are two poems that explore common beliefs and misconceptions about death. Though both poems differ in setting, tone, and mood there are surprising similarities in the literary tools they use and in the messages they attempt to convey. The setting and mood establish the tone and feel of a poem. In “The Raven” we are launched into a bleak and dreary winters night where a depressed narrator pines for his dead girlfriend.

This can be seen in the poem “Brothers and Sisters” in which the literal and figurative levels of reality are joined. Wright does this through the use of pathetic fallacy, ensuring that she moves beyond simple description, to show that every aspect of the siblings’ lives is reflective of the environment that they live in. This is represented in the metaphor ‘the road turned out to be a cul-de sac, stopped like a lost intention”. Wright implies that the dead end of the street is reflective of the lack of fertility both in and outside the house, there is no movement forwards as the lives of those within it have ceased, the siblings are unmarried with no children, thus there is no new life being created. Wright has done this to ensure that that audience is aware of this process, rather than providing simple descriptions which can often be misleading. Neither the surrounding environment or the siblings are taking part in the evolutionary process of creating life, this sense of fruitless passing of time is furthered through the employment of the simile “years grew like grass and leaves” suggesting, although hindered there is an emotional connection present. By representing their lives as slow- growing and little- moving it continues to showcase the similarities between the landscape and its inhabitants, demonstrating that the environment grows old just as they do. Yet another representation of the landscape within the characters is seen in the inevitability of death, for the landscape and its inhabitants. This can be seen through the use of direct speech “There is nothing to be afraid of. Nothing at all”. This repetitive reassurance demonstrates their fear of death and the destructive nature of it, as witnessed in the landscape. The irony here is that with each

The beginning of the poem is a very peaceful, “Blest Age!” (1), with “Purling Stream[s]” (1), “an Eternal Spring” (5), and “wanton Gods of Love” (15). This takes place in the world before the rise of mankind, much like the biblical Garden of Eden. In this flowery place, nature triumphs with love. Nature is referred to as a feminine idea, “Virgin Earth;/ Who yielded of her own accord her plenteous Birth” (32-33). This can relate to the idea or allusion of Mother Nature, as Earth is commonly referred to as female. Behn tells the reader how roses, as a symbol for virtuousness, live in prosperous morning dew. In this peaceful and young world, two lovers are free to “all their Joyes and

Regardless of race, caste, religion, or age, every human has wondered about the one fact of life that unifies us all: What is death? Both poems, “Death of a Young Son by Drowning” by Margaret Atwood and “Because I could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson share a common subject of death. Using figurative language, both poems illustrate distinct takes on a similar topic.

Through nature, these colors bring emotions, Death brings emotions of sadness and sympathy, but beauty brings happiness and joy. Firstly, the neighbors notice that in the garden belonging to Rappaccini, on a shrub lay a cornucopia of purple flowers “Enough to illuminate the garden, even if there had been no sunshine”(Rappaccini’s Daughter, 669). The beauty in these flowers attract a flood of sunlight, because the sun (nature) sees them as beautiful. The flowers bring happiness to whomever may view them because the sun directed its own energy on them to make them more beautiful. Similarly, in the garden’s fountain water ”continued to gush and sparkle into sunbeams as cheerfully as ever”(Rappaccini’s Daughter, 669). The sun shines on the free flowing water like how Romantics view nature as free. The waters beauty becomes intensified by the beams of the sun which can bring happiness to those who view them. Thirdly, when Rappaccini’s daughter decides to visit the garden she becomes illuminated by the sun like a flower. A suitor spots her in the sunlight and much like a flower in nature would bring one happiness, she brings him happiness.

Death is a topic that unites all of humanity. While it can be uncomfortable to think about, confronting death in unavoidable. “Dying” addresses that discomfort and universal unwillingness to consider the inevitability of death. Pinsky’s use of imagery, symbolism, and tone create a poetic experience that is like death, something every reader can relate to. In “Dying,” Pinsky describes how people are oblivious and almost uncaring when it comes to the thought of death. Pinsky is trying to convince the reader that they shouldn’t ignore the concept of death because life is shorter than it seems.

In the short story, “Death Constant Beyond Love”, the significance of the title of the story has many meanings. The first meaning is that death is the one this that is constant. Regardless of how we feel about one another, emotions evolved, and even love, all things will come to an end. If something dies, it is forever. Therefore, nothing can come back to life. Giving death a constant role in life. I found the title of this story to be very direct to its readers.

In the second stanza, the poem compares his love to a plant that does not bloom. The flowers are hidden deep within the plant. The text is expressing that while most would not appreciate a flower that does not bloom, the love described here goes far beyond that of anyone else’s. Inner beauty is admired. The narrator is not ashamed of his love. Yet, he feels as though he cannot compare her to anything of this world. He is entirely consumed by the spirit within her.