The Hope And Possibility Of Life In The Face Of Each Person’s Unavoidable End In Dawn Revisited By Rita Dove And When Death Comes By Mary Oliver

Dawn of Life and Death’s Dusk

Life and death are the only guarantees that every living creature on our planet has. The fate of the individual determines the duration and date of the end. Most people cope with their fear of death by focusing on life. Rita Dove (Dawn Revisited) and Mary Oliver (When Death Comes) explore the possibility and hope of a life, despite the unavoidable death of everyone.

Rita Dove, in “Dawn Revisited”, parallels a fresh start to a life with the first day of the week. The new day brings with it the possibility of a fresh start and a renewed life. Dove uses the imagery of a new start to convey the notion of renewal. She also uses the metaphor “the page” to express a positive outlook.

When Death Comes by Mary Oliver gives the audience the impression that the poem will be dark and express the inevitability death. Fear of pain and humanistic fear are often linked. Oliver expresses this fear of death through imagery: “When Death comes/like the measles-pox,” (Oliver 5-6), and “When Death comes/like an iceberg in between the shoulder blades,”(Oliver 8-8) While Death does not actually stab its victims with a slab ice in the back, the coldness of death is expressed by the sensation of the weapon’s temperature at the point of vulnerability. Death is personified in order to help humans accept the inevitable. It has the capacity to take, bargain, and even to be cruel.

Each poem uses different imagery to symbolize life. Oliver uses “the bear that is hungry in autumn” as a symbol of the death of life, personifying Death. Dove uses imagery in “Dawn Revisited” to represent the best of nature and, by extension, the speaker. The blue jay’s feathers and the oak leaves are brightly colored, evoking the feeling of spring. Fall brings out the deathly colors of brown fur and red autumn leaves.

Both poems convey a determination to live each day to its fullest. “When Death Came” does not refer to death as such, but instead focuses on living. When Death Comes, the speaker talks about their fear not being the death of life but of the possibilities of what they may never achieve. Oliver describes how she was the bridegroom who took the world into her arms. She also writes that death is approached with the same curiousity: “I am going through the doors full of curiosity to wonder what will it be like in that cottage of darkness.” The speaker’s desire for a new life is symbolized by the literal light. “How nice to wake up in the sunlight.” (Dove, 7).

Enjambment is a technique that both poets employ to create the illusion of continuing life. Death is seen by many as an end to the main story of a particular person. The end line in a structure poem. Rita Dove is the same as Mary Oliver in that they are both pursuing the same goals and achieving the same results. Both women want to be fearless in the face of death.

Author

  • tobyevans

    Toby Evans is an educational blogger and school teacher who uses her blog to share her ideas and experiences with her students and fellow educators. She is passionate about helping her students learn and grow, and uses her blog as a way to share her knowledge and insights with the world.