An anthology of The Jelley Cupboard and Burnished Pebbles

Introduction

I choose to write an anthology of these two books exploring death because death is a feared subject and only few people choose to explore it. The poems contained in this two books are of death and how people fear to deal and address death. The writers of these two poetry books address death and try to convince people to accept the fact that with life comes death that is unstoppable and no one has the ability to change that sequence. These two authors express the belief that one can overcome the fear of death and live free without fear.

Death takes a loved one away forever, Hendry in her book the Burnish Pebbles used the poem Realization to express how she felt after the death of someone she cared about. “I listen to my heart ponding pain in every beat” (Hendry 4). She expresses how her heart pains from the death of her loved one. She laments further that as time went by her death was also going to happen “But existence mocks my prayer for nearing feet” (Hendry 4). The fact that she will never see her loved one makes her cry till there are no more tears to cry “I stare until my straining eyes are blinded, hot and dry” (Hendry 4) she has no faith of seeing her friend again.

Hendry in her poem To An Ultra-optimist, expresses death as a monster that comes with time and grabs life from people. Despite, this opinion of hers she goes further and says there is peace in death and one should live without the fear of death. “If the moon should sink and stars should fall and thunder peal and knocks; If the sun should blink and planets stall, And the heavens reals and rocks, Pollyanna would you still ask me with calmness ask me why I dare presume these is not a perfect place?” (Hendry 4). She uses these lines to show that there is comfort and peace after death.

Jelley use the poem Angst to express how ones feels after the death of a loved one and to shows that one can eventually move on from the loss “She cried the loss of her mother, her friend, her duty, her relationship. She sobbed the past and the future, her voice, her smell; and the sobs and cries soothed like gentle healing ointment on an open wound, and slowly she begun to heal” (Jelley 13).

Conclusion

Hendry and Jelley in their poems help to show that death takes away ones loved one and eventually it shall take away everyone. They are helping people come to terms with death since it is a natural occurrence and nothing can alter it. In their poems they show that one can move on and overcome the loss of a loved one and the fear of death. They also tell that there is peace after death. Jelly in his poem I Am Not Ready expresses that one does not necessarily have to be ready for death but accept it as it comes “I am told to let go, and have faith I will not fall but rise towards the heavens and I reply, I am not ready am too young to die” (Jelley 18). These poets are a great help in helping people deal with death.

 

Work cited

Jelley, Dawn. The Jelley Cupboard: Poems About Life, Death, and Other Sticky Stuff. Place of publication not identified: Gardners Books, 2007. Print.

Hendry, Dorothy D. Burnished Pebbles: Poems of Love, Death, and Life. New York: iUniverse, 2007. Print.