WHEN I AM DEAD, MY DEAREST

An Analysis of Christina Rosetti's poetry titled "When I Am Dead, My Dearest"

When I am dead, my dearest is a poetry which shows that death is actually a happy ending and a start of eternal life.

The first stanza of the poetry tells that death should not be something sad.

When I am dead, my dearest,

Sing no sad songs for me

From that verse, it shows that death is actually not a sad state. It is better to face it with singing no sad song. Singing no sad song means mourning or regretting. There is no way back in death. Death can not be replayed or flashbacked. So, there is no use regretting or mourning it. This poetry wants to tell that people should realize that in facing death people should be wise. Death is sometimes can be the only best end. Sometimes death is not always seen as something sad, but something good. It is also believed that death is not actually an end. There is life after death, the eternal life. So there is no need to sing a sad song to the death because they already live in another world.

The second stanza of the poetry tells that death is the ending of secular immortal life and the beginning of eternal life.

I shall not see the shadows,

I shall not feel the rain;

I shall not hear the nightingale

From those verses, it shows that death brings something called numb. When someone dies, he can not feel, see, hear, touch, taste, and do everything. He just stays still. People may think that this state is horrible and frightening or sad and sorrowful. But, for the death this state is not that bad because they can no more feel pain. It shows that death is the climax. Death is the end of facing immortal life and world. Death makes realize that actually human being is just dust that can not do anything. So, death should be something to contemplate.

Haply I may remember,

And haply may forget.

That verse shows that there is life after death. When someone dies, he can no more do anything, even remembers or forgets. However, that verse mentions remember and forget. Human can remember and forget when they are alive. So, it means, there is a life after death. Life after death is something mysterious. We, as human being, may never know what will actually happen in life after death. We may remember about our life in the world, or may forget.

To sum up, this poetry talks about death. Death should not be something sad. For some reason, death brings both ending and beginning of life. Death also gives no more pain. Death seems makes people can not do anything, but there is life after death that makes the death becomes alive and do something in eternal life. Whether it’s remembering or forgetting. 

-ULTRAUTOGIA-