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. |