Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Kevin Young's poem "Eulogy," the speaker takes an introspective look at death and the rituals that surround it. The poem serves as a meditation on what it means to confront the inevitable silence that accompanies the end of life. Divided into various stanzas, each separated by asterisks, Young employs this structure to give his verses room to breathe-much like the pauses one might encounter in a spoken eulogy.

The opening lines, "To allow silence / To admit it in us," set the tone for what follows. The act of "allowing" implies that silence, often associated with emptiness or lack, is actually full of meaning; it's a thing to admit into ourselves, just as we might admit light or truth. This concept of silence "always moving / Just past / senses" suggests that silence is not stagnant; it is active, always present, waiting for acknowledgment.

In the lines "What swallows us / and we live amongst / What lives amongst us," Young portrays darkness and silence as omnipresent forces. This poetic setting sets the stage for the speaker to discuss the ceremonies that are a part of death. "These grim anchors / That brief sanctity / the sea / Cast quite far," he writes, portraying the solemnity of funerals, the finality of it all, and yet also its breadth-the sea is both a grave and a source of life.

The speaker offers specific instructions for his own funeral, highlighting his desire for simplicity: "Place me in a plain / pine box I have been / for years building / It is splinters / not silver / It is filled of hair." Young is suggesting that the box is a work in progress, much like life itself. Its plainness and its splinters offer a powerful contrast to a coffin lined with "silver," a material often associated with wealth or opulence.

The speaker urges his mourners to grieve, but not perpetually: "Do not weep / but once, and a long / time then." He promotes the idea of life after death-not necessarily in a religious or spiritual sense, but in the notion that life must go on for the living. He encourages the mourners to eat "till / your stomach spills over," signifying that they should engage with life to its fullest, to consume it voraciously.

The poem ends on an eerie yet reassuring note: "You who will bear / my body along / Spirit me into the six / Do not startle / at its lack of weight / How light." The speaker suggests that, in death, he has been freed from earthly burdens, becoming 'light.' Here, the weightlessness of the body signifies the release of the spirit, suggesting a form of ascension or liberation.

Throughout "Eulogy," Young employs sparse language and vivid imagery to explore the emotional and philosophical complexities of death and mourning. Rather than presenting a morbid picture, Young offers a eulogy that serves as a tribute to life, emphasizing the need to acknowledge and embrace the silence and darkness that dwell amongst us. This poem serves as a poignant reminder of our mortality, urging us to make peace with the ever-present shadow of death, so that we might live our lives more fully.

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