Death is Nothing at All by the author, Henry Scott-Holland (1847 – 1918), is a priest at St. Paul’s Cathedral of London. He did not intend it as a poem, it was delivered as part of a sermon entitled “Death the King of Terrors” in 1910 when King Edward VII was lying in state at Westminster, London because of heart attack.
The poem is narrated by someone who is already dead. It gives the living an idea of what the dead person would want to witness as they had already left the physical realm. Because of this, the reader would have an insight of what the dead person feels, and they would also have an idea of what the dead person’s thoughts are. By this, the reader and the author build a strong connection and bond. Additionally, the reader may consider the words of the author more personally and apply them in their own situations in life.
Henry Scott-Holland suggested that there is another way in coping up with a death of a loved one, a preferable method of grieving. He reasoned that it’s because the dead would rather have nothing changed than to see the people that they’ve left behind grieve for them. In the poem, it’s implied that the dead would want to alleviate their loved ones’ pain and suffering by not considering death as something that could separate and break the bond that they shared when they’re still breathing.
Another implication the author made is that death does not change what they mean to each other. Death does not erase nor touch the memories and the times when they were together and, thus, cannot be a reason for mourning. The author insinuated that the living person should think of the situation just like the dead person slipped away “into the next room”. The author thought of death as a “negligible accident” and proceeded to show the reader that the dead would always be present and that they would always wait for the time that they can make fun of all the trouble because of being away from each other.
As for my own opinion, the poem was heart-warming. Considering that the author did not intend for it to be a poem, it is excellent and a now known piece of literary work. While reading the poem, you can feel the connection that the dead person was grasping for with the living. This is evident through the author’s wanting to remain everything unchanged- as if nothing happened. It would be a good way to spend time lingering and chewing off every bits of this poem. Anyone would be suitable to ponder on this poem and take a moment to cherish their time while they still can.
BLOGEXT 