Analysis Of Robert Pinsky's Dying

The meaning of death as suggested by Robert Pinsky In the poem “Dying” by Robert Pinsky, we go through the thought process of a man who is attempting to come to terms with death. He looks at countless aspects of where life and death lead. He finally reaches a conclusion that leaves him with some piece of mind. Pinsky is alluding to the fact that death is not necessarily the finish but rather an essential element to the cycle of life. The first two stanzas introduce to us the idea of death and how the speaker feels he is surrounded by it. “And every day/ Things that were in my memory fade and die” (5-6). This is an example that Pinsky uses to depict a softer picture of death. He is alluding to the fact that death is not always literal, but rather entities die off everyday without us being aware that it is occurring. The speaker also talks about two dogs that have passed away. This shows that although some elements have …show more content…
He finally discloses what is causing his struggle. “Phrases die out… Then after a certain decade/As a dead metaphor, “dead as a doornail” flickers/ And fades away” (7-10). He is starting to analyze the cycle of living and dying by acknowledging the fact that thoughts can come back after they are gone but not always in the same way. The following lines reveal that he, in fact, knows somebody who is at the end of their life and that, although the whole world is destined to end, eventually “The different pace makes the difference absolute” (12). The speaker is having a challenging time accepting this death, since it is happening now and he will remain when the person he knows is gone. It means that one can prepare for it everyday, but the death still hurts the same as it would at any other time regardless of the situation. It emphasizes that whether a person dies suddenly or after a long painful process, it is still