Poetry Analysis

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye

 

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

 

This poem uses rhyming, imagery, and repetition of an important phrase (with slight change) for emphasis. It is obvious that Frye is speaking of death through the image of death and the poem comes off as a bit bold by asking that someone should not mourn at her death. This boldness, however, is perfectly displaced by beautiful imagery of what she becomes after losing life. Actually, I feel strange saying losing "life" because all the things she becomes are full of life. "I am not there; I did not die."