When I am Dead, My Dearest
By Christina Rossetti
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.
Summary of When I am Dead, My Dearest
- Popularity of “When I am Dead, My Dearest”: Written by Christina Rossetti, a famous Victorian writer and poet, “When I am Dead, My Dearest” is a suggestive poem. She wrote this poem when she was eighteen, but it got published in 1862 in her collection, Goblin Market and Other Poems. The poem presents the speaker’s desires of how her loved ones would react after her death. She suggests instead of mourning; they should move on in life. The poem has become popular as it accounts for the speaker’s contemplative thoughts.
- “When I am Dead, My Dearest” As a Representative of Truth: This sad poem begins with the acceptance of unavoidable death. The speaker addresses her partner and advises him not to mourn or sing melancholic songs on her death. Also, she advises him not to plant shady or rose trees by her headstone. She simply wants to be surrounded by green grass that gets wet with dew drops. She seems full of love and care, as she does not want him to make her memory a complementary part of his life.
The second stanza of the poem is symbolic as it sheds light on life after death. The speaker skillfully imagines that once she will leave the world, she won’t be able to see gloominess and other earthly joys like the singing of a nightingale and the falling of raindrops. Moreover, she won’t be able to remember anything when she is dreaming in that half-light of death. Therefore, she suggests that her partner should not mourn her and should move on in life. - Major Themes in “When I am Dead, My Dearest”: Life versus death, mourning, and acceptance are the major themes of the poem. This short poem reflects the speaker’s ideas about death and life. It seems that she has gained a mature understanding of life after death. She knows that her connection to the world will be completely cut off once she closes her eyes. She will not come back to see the mourners and won’t even enjoy the things that have brought her pleasures or woes when she was alive. Therefore, accepting the reality of death, the speaker asks her lover not to be sad after her demise. Rather, she suggests that he should move on because she won’t be able to see if he makes any special arrangements for her, or not. Through this simple poem, the writer unfolds that death is unstoppable. However, when it comes, it puts a permanent stop to worldly life.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in When I am Dead, My Dearest
literary devices are powerful tools that allow writers to create meaningful nuances in the poems. There are many literary devices used in the poem, whose analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “When I am dead, my dearest” and the sound of /o/ in “Plant thou no roses at my head.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. The writer has repeated the words “I shall” in the second stanza of the poem to emphasize the point, such as;
“I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “And dreaming through the twilight” and the sound of /h/ in “I shall not hear the nightingale.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,”
- Epigraph: It is a device used in a form of a poem, quote, or sentence, usually placed at the beginning of the poem to suggest the overall theme of the poem. Christina has used this device in the opening lines where it is stated as;
“When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Christina has used imagery in this poem such as; “Plant thou no roses at my head,”, “With showers and dewdrops wet” and “I shall not hear the nightingale.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet has used death as an extended metaphor to show how it transports us to a new world and cuts our connection to the previous world.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols like death, acceptance, and suggestions.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in When I am Dead, My Dearest
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Christina Rossetti has used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “tree/me”, “wet/forget” and “rain/pain.”
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are two stanzas in this poem, with each comprising eight verses.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when advising families on what to do after the demise of their dear ones.
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.
