Like the bulbous flowers that emerge in the spring, exposing the majestic environment with multitudinous vibrancy, and dies off in the autumn seasons before returning again the following year, grief is a cycle of continuous struggle. In Robert Frost’s melancholy poem, “Acquainted With the Night”, and Linda Pastan’s creation, “The Five Stages of Grief”, both poems emphasize this dismal sensation in a reflection of their past experiences. Grief is a natural response that many individuals, including myself, display following a sorrowful event. The poems articulate that when faced with distressing or pessimistic situations, despite one’s powerful urge to surmount these instances, they may still remain in an isolated state and remain incapable of
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In line 5, the speaker states that overcoming grief can be as easy as “learning to climb stairs after the amputation”. If a person’s leg was removed, would it be this unsophisticated for them to have the physical, and most importantly, emotional strength to pick themselves up from where they were and continue to progress in life? This ironic statement clearly summarizes how challenging the situation is to quickly move on from such miserable times. Moreover, the word “hope” is capitalized and personified in the poem to highlight the importance of the vocabulary term, and it is described to “flash on and off in defective neon”. Although the speaker can brightly visualize hope flickering in the distance, these ideas cannot fully reach her. In other words, she struggles to accept these circumstances, and she continues to explore her pessimistic outlooks. Pastan adds that “the treeline has long since disappeared; green is a color [she has] forgotten”. The colour, green, is symbolic of life and harmony; therefore, she is mournfully expressing the futility of her life. Conclusively, Pastan metaphorically associates grief as a “circular staircase”. Despite her acceptance, she is unable to find peace. Whatever she tries to overcome these emotions fail, and she is burdened by the …show more content…
My personal experiences with grief describe the hardship one takes to move on from the sadness. The poems articulate that despite one’s strong determination to overcome the burdens, when faced with distressing or pessimistic situations, they may still remain in an isolated state and remain incapable of overcoming
In line 5, the speaker states that overcoming grief can be as easy as “learning to climb stairs after the amputation”. If a person’s leg was removed, would it be this unsophisticated for them to have the physical, and most importantly, emotional strength to pick themselves up from where they were and continue to progress in life? This ironic statement clearly summarizes how challenging the situation is to quickly move on from such miserable times. Moreover, the word “hope” is capitalized and personified in the poem to highlight the importance of the vocabulary term, and it is described to “flash on and off in defective neon”. Although the speaker can brightly visualize hope flickering in the distance, these ideas cannot fully reach her. In other words, she struggles to accept these circumstances, and she continues to explore her pessimistic outlooks. Pastan adds that “the treeline has long since disappeared; green is a color [she has] forgotten”. The colour, green, is symbolic of life and harmony; therefore, she is mournfully expressing the futility of her life. Conclusively, Pastan metaphorically associates grief as a “circular staircase”. Despite her acceptance, she is unable to find peace. Whatever she tries to overcome these emotions fail, and she is burdened by the …show more content…
My personal experiences with grief describe the hardship one takes to move on from the sadness. The poems articulate that despite one’s strong determination to overcome the burdens, when faced with distressing or pessimistic situations, they may still remain in an isolated state and remain incapable of overcoming