INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
ISSN(p in ): 2643-9840, ISSN(online): 2643-9875
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijm a/ 8-i10-09, Impac Fac o : 8.266
Page No. 5560-5566
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5560
Faces o Dea h: A S a is ical- S ylis ic Analysis on Selec ed 19 h and 20 h
Cen u y Poems
Danielle La izze O. Galla do
Nue a Ecija Uni e si y o Science and Technology
ABSTRACT: This s udy examined he ep esen a ion o dea h in selec ed 19 h- and 20 h-cen u y poems h ough a
s a is icals ylis ic lens. Guided by Elisabe h Küble -Ross’s Fi e S ages o Loss, he esea ch analyzed eigh canonical wo ks:
Dickinson’s I I Should Die, Poe’s Annabel Lee, Shelley’s Queen Mab, and B on ë’s On he Dea h o Anne B on ë om he 19 h
cen u y; and Cummings’ Suppose, F os ’s Spoils o he Dead, Pla h’s Lady Laza us, and Ne uda’s No hing bu Dea h om he
20 h cen u y. Using he biog aphical, s ylis ic, and his o ical app oaches, he poems we e e alua ed by i e li e a u e s uden s
o de e mine he ex en o which biog aphy, language s yle, and yea o publica ion shaped each ex ’s engagemen wi h
mo ali y.
Findings e ealed s ong biog aphical in luence in B on ë and Pla h, whose wo ks a e di ec ly ied o pe sonal g ie , while Shelley,
Dickinson, Cummings, Ne uda, and F os showed minimal au obiog aphical aces. S ylis ically, Poe and Pla h achie ed he
highes a ings due o hei dense symbolism and e oca i e image y. Ac oss bo h cen u ies, he yea o publica ion exe ed li le
in luence. Thema ic analysis shows g ea e emo ional a ia ion in 19 h-cen u y wo ks, e lec ing denial, ange , ba gaining, and
dep ession, while 20 h-cen u y poems la gely emphasize accep ance.
O e all, he s udy highligh ed how dea h in poe y unc ions no only as a hema ic cons an bu as a dynamic cons uc shaped
by pe sonal expe ience, linguis ic s yle, and cul u al sensibili ies ac oss li e a y pe iods.
KEYWORDS: dea h in li e a u e, Küble -Ross, s ylis ic analysis, biog aphical app oach, 19 h-cen u y poe y, 20 h-cen u y poe y
I. INTRODUCTION
Dea h has long been ega ded as one o he mos p o ound and unse ling aspec s o human exis ence. I is no only a
biological ine i abili y bu also a cul u al and li e a y cons uc ha has inspi ed philosophical, psychological, and a is ic inqui y
ac oss cen u ies. Schola s such as Elisabe h Küble -Ross (1969) concep ualized he human esponse o dea h h ough he Fi e
S ages o Loss, unde sco ing i s psychological complexi y, while li e a y igu es ha e con inually ans o med dea h in o a cen al
heme o poe ic exp ession.
Nine een h- and wen ie h-cen u ies poe y a e ich in depic ions o mo ali y. F om Emily Dickinson’s con empla ions o
dea h as pa o li e’s na u al cycle o Syl ia Pla h’s haun ing s uggles wi h iden i y and sel -des uc ion, poe s ha e app oached
he subjec h ough di e se lenses shaped by biog aphy, language, and socio-his o ical con ex . Dea h becomes pe soni ied as
lo e , enemy, o companion, embodying con adic ions o ea and accep ance, esis ance and su ende .
While nume ous s udies ha e examined indi idual poe s’ engagemen s wi h dea h, ewe ha e employed a compa a i e
amewo k ha spans li e a y pe iods while in eg a ing psychological and s a is ical-s ylis ic app oaches. Mos exis ing s udies
end o be ei he pu ely in e p e i e—emphasizing symbolism and o m—o psychological, ocusing on g ie heo y wi hou
sys ema ic a en ion o ex ual s yle. This c ea es a gap o esea ch ha b idges li e a y c i icism wi h a mo e empi ical,
s uc u ed analysis o how mo ali y is ep esen ed ac oss di e en e as.
This s udy add esses ha gap by analyzing selec ed poems om he 19 h and 20 h cen u ies using Küble -Ross’s Fi e S ages
o Loss as a amewo k, combined wi h biog aphical, s ylis ic, and his o ical app oaches. By inco po a ing quan i a i e
desc ip i e me hods, he esea ch seeks o de e mine how pe sonal expe ience, linguis ic s yle, and publica ion pe iod in luence
he po ayal o dea h, and whe he no able di e ences exis be ween Roman ic/Vic o ian and mode nis /pos mode nis
sensibili ies. The s udy con ibu es o he g owing dialogue be ween li e a u e and psychology, while also demons a ing how
s a is ical analysis can en ich li e a y in e p e a ion.
Faces o Dea h: A S a is ical- S ylis ic Analysis on Selec ed 19 h and 20 h Cen u y Poems
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5561
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Li e a u e has long u ned o dea h as one o i s mos endu ing and enigma ic subjec s. Ac oss cul u es and cen u ies, w i e s
ha e no only g appled wi h he ine i abili y o mo ali y bu ha e also sough o gi e i shape, meaning, and oice. Wha eme ges
is a body o wo k whe e dea h becomes pa adoxical— e i ying ye ascina ing, ine i able ye deeply pe sonal, des uc i e ye
s angely edemp i e.
Schola s such as Elisabe h Küble -Ross (1969) ame dea h in e ms o human psychology, emphasizing he s ages o g ie —
denial, ange , ba gaining, dep ession, and accep ance—as a uni e sal ye highly indi idualized p ocess. He model has become a
co ne s one in unde s anding how people p ocess mo ali y, bo h in li e and in li e a u e. Wo h (2005) la e documen ed
Küble Ross’s in ellec ual jou ney, acing how he encoun e s wi h pa ien s shaped he heo iza ion o dying. Klein and Wo h
(2000) simila ly s ess ha mo ali y compels us o alue ou decisions p ecisely because li e is ini e. Howa h and Jupp (1996)
ex end his iew, no ing ha cul u al con ex s in luence how communi ies concep ualize and i ualize dea h, sugges ing ha
li e a u e p o ides one such cul u al exp ession.
Wi hin he ealm o poe y, dea h assumes mul iple iden i ies. Emily Dickinson, o ins ance, o en app oached i wi h quie
con empla ion, po aying dea h as a companion o guide, ne e en i ely ea some bu always ine i able. Daghamin (2017)
obse es ha Dickinson endowed dea h wi h human and nonhuman ai s—some imes a sui o , some imes a coachman,
some imes an ad e sa y— e lec ing he con adic ions o li e i sel . He es ained s yle unde sco es how o dina y language can
ele a e mo ali y in o p o ound medi a ion.
Edga Allan Poe, on he o he hand, d ama ized dea h h ough Go hic image y, u ning i in o an almos hypno ic expe ience.
In wo ks like Annabel Lee, dea h is no jus an ending bu a up u e ha in ensi ies lo e and longing. Poe’s ascina ion wi h dea h
o en mi o ed his pe sonal agedies, blu ing he line be ween biog aphy and a . Cha lo e B on ë’s elegiac On he Dea h o
Anne B on ë does some hing simila , hough wi h mo e subdued in ensi y, as she w i es h ough he g ie o losing he sis e . In
bo h cases, pe sonal be ea emen becomes insepa able om a is ic c ea ion. Dye (2003) suppo s his iew, a guing ha bo h
he na u e o he deceased’s ela ionship o he mou ne and he manne o dea h (na u al, suicidal, homicidal, o acciden al)
p o oundly shape he g ie ing p ocess and i s li e a y mani es a ions.
The wen ie h cen u y in oduced new onali ies. Syl ia Pla h’s Lady Laza us con on s dea h h ough aw pe sonal expe ience,
u ning he suicidal s uggles in o a . He e, dea h is no longe an abs ac symbol bu an in ima e, li ed eali y. Likewise, Pablo
Ne uda’s No hing bu Dea h magni ies mo ali y in o a uni e sal o ce, omnip esen and inescapable, blending ly ical image y wi h
exis en ial d ead. Robe F os and E.E. Cummings, hough s ylis ically di e en , also b ough esh language o mo ali y: F os
h ough e lec i e me apho and pas o al image y, Cummings h ough play ul ye unse ling pe soni ica ions.
E en ou side poe y, dea h con inues o shape li e a u e. J.K. Rowling, o ins ance, has acknowledged ha he dea h o he
mo he in luenced he hema ic weigh o he Ha y Po e se ies, whe e mo ali y and loss pe ade he na a i e. This mi o s
Rabind ana h Tago e’s e lec ion in S ay Bi ds, whe e he desc ibed g ie as “man ba icading agains himsel ,” a eminde ha
he con on a ion wi h dea h ine i ably eshapes human consciousness and c ea i i y.
Ac oss hese examples, one can see how biog aphy and con ex in lec li e a y po ayals o dea h. The uni e sali y o dea h
ensu es i s ecu ence in li e a u e, ye i s ep esen a ion is ne e s a ic. Ins ead, i has been eimagined as enemy, lo e ,
companion, o elease—each inca na ion e lec ing he emo ional, cul u al, and s ylis ic en i onmen o i s au ho . This shi ing
lens no only en iches ou unde s anding o mo ali y in a bu also unde sco es why dea h emains an inexhaus ible subjec o
li e a y inqui y.
III. METHODOLOGY
This s udy employed a mixed-me hod design, combining quali a i e li e a y analysis wi h quan i a i e desc ip i e echniques
o cap u e bo h he in e p e i e dep h o poe y and measu able pa e ns ac oss selec ed ex s. The quali a i e componen was
ancho ed in close eading, guided by biog aphical, s ylis ic, and his o ical app oaches. These lenses allowed he esea che o
examine how he poe ’s pe sonal li e shaped he po ayal o dea h, how s ylis ic choices ein o ced o dilu ed he heme, and
how his o ical o cul u al ci cums ances in luenced he ep esen a ion o mo ali y. The psychological amewo k o Elisabe h
Küble Ross’s (1969) Fi e S ages o Loss was hen used o c oss-analyze hese pe spec i es, o e ing a s uc u ed in e p e i e model
ha linked he emo ional a c o g ie wi h he poems’ hema ic con en .
To complemen he in e p e i e analysis, a quan i a i e elemen was in oduced. Fi e andomly selec ed Wo ld Li e a u e
s uden s e alua ed eigh poems: Emily Dickinson’s I I Should Die, Edga Allan Poe’s Annabel Lee, Pe cy Bysshe Shelley’s Queen
Mab, and Cha lo e B on ë’s On he Dea h o Anne B on ë om he 19 h cen u y; and E.E. Cummings’ Suppose, Robe F os ’s
Spoils o he Dead, Syl ia Pla h’s Lady Laza us, and Pablo Ne uda’s No hing bu Dea h om he 20 h cen u y. Each s uden assessed
Faces o Dea h: A S a is ical- S ylis ic Analysis on Selec ed 19 h and 20 h Cen u y Poems
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5562
he poems acco ding o h ee main c i e ia: he in luence o he au ho ’s biog aphy, he e ec i eness o he language s yle, and
he impac o he yea o publica ion. These esponses we e eco ded using a i e-poin scale, con e ed in o nume ical
equi alen s, and summa ized h ough mean sco es wi h co esponding e bal in e p e a ions.
The i s c i e ion, biog aphy o he au ho , was g ounded in biog aphical c i icism (Ab ams, 1999), which asse s ha a
w i e ’s li e and expe iences o en illumina e hei wo ks. The a ing scale used is shown below.
Table 1. Ra ing Scale o Biog aphy o he Au ho
Nume ical Equi alen
Ve bal Desc ip ion
Ve bal In e p e a ion
5
Highly E iden
The poem is s ongly au obiog aphical; he au ho ’s pe sonal
expe iences o losses a e di ec ly mi o ed in he ex (e.g., B on ë’s
elegy o he sis e , Pla h’s con essional poe y).
4
S ongly E iden
Biog aphical in luence is clea and signi ican , hough pa ially
d ama ized o ic ionalized (e.g., Poe’s mou ning in Annabel Lee).
3
Mode a ely E iden
Some elemen s may be linked o he au ho ’s li e, bu he
connec ion is indi ec o gene alized.
2
Minimally E iden
Only ain aces o biog aphy a e p esen ; in luence is specula i e
o seconda y o b oade hemes.
1
No E iden
No iden i iable biog aphical connec ion; he poem ea s dea h in
abs ac , symbolic, o philosophical e ms a he han li ed
expe ience.
The second c i e ion, language s yle, d ew om s ylis ic c i icism (Leech & Sho , 2007), which emphasizes dic ion, image y,
hy hm, one, and igu a i e de ices as cen al o meaning. This was ope a ionalized h ough he ollowing scale.
Table 2. Ra ing Scale o Language S yle
Nume ical Equi alen
Ve bal Desc ip ion
Ve bal In e p e a ion
5
Ve y S ong
Rich, i id, and powe ul language use; s ylis ic choices in ensi y he
heme o dea h, lea ing a s ong impac on eade s.
4
S ong
Language and li e a y de ices e ec i ely con ey mo ali y wi h cla i y
and o ce.
3
Mode a e
S ylis ic ea u es and image y a e p esen bu limi ed in dep h o
o iginali y.
2
Limi ed
Minimal s ylis ic de ices; language is s aigh o wa d o abs ac ,
educing he poem’s impac .
1
Weak/Absen
Li le o no s ylis ic o poe ic de ices; he heme o dea h lacks a is ic
exp ession.
Finally, he hi d c i e ion, yea o publica ion, was e alua ed using he his o ical/pe iod app oach (Wellek & Wa en, 1949),
which conside s how li e a u e e lec s i s cul u al and empo al milieu. The a ing scale is p esen ed below:
Table 3. Ra ing Scale o Yea o Publica ion
Nume ical Equi alen
Ve bal Desc ip ion
Ve bal In e p e a ion
5
Ve y S ong In luence
The poem clea ly e lec s i s his o ical con ex ; majo e en s o
in ellec ual mo emen s shape i s po ayal o dea h.
4
S ong In luence
His o ical con ex no iceably in luences he ea men o dea h,
hough no as he p ima y ocus.
Faces o Dea h: A S a is ical- S ylis ic Analysis on Selec ed 19 h and 20 h Cen u y Poems
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5563
3
Mode a e In luence
Some aces o his o ical o cul u al con ex a e e iden bu emain
seconda y.
2
Minimal In luence
Only ain hin s o his o ical o cul u al con ex can be iden i ied.
1
No In luence
No disce nible impac o his o ical con ex ; dea h is ea ed as a
uni e sal and imeless conce n.
The scope o he s udy was delibe a ely na ow, ocusing only on eigh Wes e n poems and elying on he judgmen s o a small
g oup o s uden e alua o s. This choice ensu ed manageabili y bu also signaled clea limi a ions: he exclusion o non-Wes e n
ex s, he limi ed numbe o wo ks pe cen u y, and he eliance on s uden eade s whose in e p e a ions, while insigh ul, may
no cap u e he ull schola ly dep h. None heless, by combining quali a i e analysis wi h semi-quan i a i e a ings, he s udy
add esses a c ucial esea ch gap. P io schola ship o en con ines i sel ei he o close eading o o psychological in e p e a ion;
ew s udies a emp o me ge hese wi h sys ema ic, compa a i e analysis ac oss pe iods. By b idging hese app oaches, he
p esen s udy demons a es ha while dea h is uni e sal, i s li e a y ep esen a ion is dynamic shaped no only by au ho ial oice
and s yle bu also by he sub le in e play o biog aphy, his o y, and cul u al imagina ion.
IV. RESULTS
The analysis o he eigh selec ed poems e ealed dis inc pa e ns in how dea h was ep esen ed, pa icula ly when
examined in ela ion o he poe ’s biog aphy, language s yle, and yea o publica ion. These esul s no only highligh a ia ions
ac oss he 19 h and 20 h cen u ies bu also con i m he ole o li ed expe ience and s ylis ic in ensi y in shaping li e a y po ayals
o mo ali y.
A. Biog aphy o he Au ho
The i s c i e ion, biog aphy o he au ho , demons a ed he s onges in luence among he h ee. As shown in Table 4, poems
such as Cha lo e B on ë’s On he Dea h o Anne B on ë (M = 5.0) and Syl ia Pla h’s Lady Laza us (M = 4.8) we e a ed as “highly
e iden ,” di ec ly e lec ing pe sonal g ie and li ed s uggles. Poe’s Annabel Lee (M = 4.2) was likewise a ed “s ongly e iden ,”
wi h c i ics o en linking he poem o his mou ning o his young wi e, Vi ginia Clemm. In con as , Shelley’s Queen Mab (M = 1.0)
and Cummings’ Suppose (M = 1.2) we e a ed “no e iden ” and “minimally e iden ,” sugges ing ha hei ea men s o dea h
we e mo e philosophical o abs ac han biog aphical.
Table 4. Mean Ra ings o Selec ed Poems Acco ding o he Au ho ’s Biog aphy
Poem
Au ho
Cen u
y
Me
an
Ve bal In e p e a ion
On he Dea h o Anne B on ë
Cha lo e B on ë
19 h
5.0
A deeply pe sonal elegy w i en in esponse o he dea h o
he sis e , making biog aphy insepa able om he ex .
Lady Laza us
Syl ia Pla h
20 h
4.8
Con essional s yle ans o ms pe sonal suicide a emp s
in o a , making dea h bo h in ima e and pe o ma i e.
Annabel Lee
Edga Allan Poe
19 h
4.2
Pe sonal loss d ama ized; g ie o his wi e ansla ed in o
Go hic ly icism.
Spoils o he Dead
Robe F os
20 h
2.2
Mo ali y appea s me apho ically bu less ied o F os ’s
own biog aphy.
I I Should Die
Emily Dickinson
19 h
1.4
Philosophical medi a ion on dea h a he han
au obiog aphical e lec ion.
No hing bu Dea h
Pablo Ne uda
20 h
1.6
Dea h depic ed as uni e sal o ce, no linked o speci ic
pe sonal g ie .
Suppose
E.E. Cummings
20 h
1.2
Play ul abs ac ion wi h no disce nible au obiog aphical
aces.
Queen Mab(exce p )
Pe cy B. Shelley
19 h
1.0
Pu ely philosophical; no biog aphical e idence o g ie o
loss.
Faces o Dea h: A S a is ical- S ylis ic Analysis on Selec ed 19 h and 20 h Cen u y Poems
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5564
These esul s con i m wha Dye (2003) obse ed— ha he in ensi y o g ie in li e a u e is o en p opo iona e o he poe ’s
li ed expe ience wi h dea h. Poems w i en ou o di ec loss, such as B on ë’s and Pla h’s, e eal a dep h absen in abs ac
ea men s, unde sco ing he biog aphical weigh o mo ali y in a .
B. Language S yle
The second c i e ion, language s yle, highligh ed how s ylis ic choices ampli y o dilu e he heme o dea h. As shown in Table
5, Pla h’s Lady Laza us (M = 5.0) and Poe’s Annabel Lee (M = 4.8) we e a ed highes , using i id image y, hy hm, and me apho
o in ensi y dea h’s p esence. F os ’s Spoils o he Dead (M = 4.4) and B on ë’s elegy (M = 4.0) also demons a ed s ong s ylis ic
use, hough wi h mo e es ain . A he o he end, Shelley’s Queen Mab (M = 2.0) and Cummings’ Suppose (M = 2.6) we e a ed
low, showing ha while bo h employed expe imen al o philosophical dic ion, hei s yles we e less e ec i e in e oking he isce al
weigh o dea h.
Table 5. Mean Ra ings o Selec ed Poems Acco ding o Language S yle
Poem
Au ho
Cen u y
Me
an
Ve bal In e p e a ion
Lady Laza us
Syl ia Pla h
20 h
5.0
Rich, isce al image y makes dea h immedia e and deeply
pe sonal.
Annabel Lee
Edga Allan
Poe
19 h
4.8
Go hic ly icism and epe i ion in ensi y g ie and mo ali y.
Spoils o he Dead
Robe F os
20 h
4.4
Pas o al image y and e lec i e one highligh mo ali y
sub ly.
On he Dea h o Anne
B on ë
Cha lo e
B on ë
19 h
4.0
Di ec elegiac s yle con eys since i y and quie g ie .
I I Should Die
Emily
Dickinson
19 h
2.8
Compac s yle con eys mo ali y wi h es ain bu less
i idness.
No hing bu Dea h
Pablo Ne uda
20 h
2.8
Uni e sal image y; less in ima e, ocusing on collec i e
mo ali y.
Suppose
E.E.
Cummings
20 h
2.6
Expe imen al o m pe soni ies dea h play ully bu wi h
limi ed o ce.
Queen Mab (exce p )
Pe cy B.
Shelley
19 h
2.0
Ele a ed dic ion depic s dea h abs ac ly; limi ed s ylis ic
impac .
These esul s echo Daghamin (2017), who a gued ha language can ans o m dea h om abs ac ine i abili y in o a
palpable, humanized p esence. Pla h and Poe’s high a ings demons a e how s ylis ic in ensi y makes mo ali y un o ge able,
while Shelley’s low a ing sugges s ha abs ac dic ion, hough philosophically ambi ious, o en lacks isce al esonance.
C. Yea o Publica ion
The inal c i e ion, yea o publica ion, e ealed a s iking uni o mi y. All poems we e a ed 1.0, sugges ing ha he his o ical
momen o publica ion had li le o no in luence on how dea h was ep esen ed. This inding unde sco e wha Howa h and Jupp
(1996) no ed: while cul u al i uals shape dea h in socie y, li e a y ea men s o en anscend his o ical momen , posi ioning
mo ali y as a pe ennial heme. The absence o his o ical in luence sugges s ha o hese poe s, dea h was imagined no as a
con ex ual e en bu as a uni e sal human expe ience.
D. Compa a i e Syn hesis
Taken oge he , hese esul s highligh a c i ical esea ch gap. While exis ing schola ship o en ocuses na owly on ei he
pe sonal g ie o abs ac symbolism, his s udy demons a es he necessi y o in eg a ing biog aphy, s yle, and con ex o ully
g asp how dea h is ep esen ed in li e a u e. The con as be ween he high in luence o biog aphy and language s yle and he
negligible in luence o publica ion yea sugges s ha mo ali y in poe y is less a p oduc o his o y han o pe sonal expe ience
and a is ic c a .
When compa ing he wo cen u ies, ce ain con as s eme ge ha sha pen he unde s anding o how dea h was ep esen ed
in li e a u e. The 19 h-cen u y poems ended o ame mo ali y in ways ha we e ei he oman icized o allego ical. Shelley’s
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Queen Mab epi omizes his, ea ing dea h as a philosophical abs ac ion, while Dickinson’s I I Should Die illus a es how he
me aphysical was a o ed o e he explici ly pe sonal. E en Poe and B on ë, whose wo ks we e oo ed in loss, p esen ed dea h
wi h heigh ened ly icism o eligious o e ones, sugges ing ha 19 h-cen u y po ayals leaned owa d he uni e sal o symbolic
e en when biog aphical in luence was s ong.
By con as , he 20 h-cen u y poems adop ed a a mo e con essional and isce al one. Pla h’s Lady Laza us exempli ies he
e a’s willingness o me ge pe sonal auma wi h public a , using aw language o collapse he bounda y be ween li e and dea h.
Ne uda uni e salized mo ali y bu did so wi h s a k image y ha esona es wi h exis en ial d ead, while F os and Cummings
employed e lec i e o expe imen al echniques o eimagine mo ali y’s p esence in e e yday li e. These wo ks sugges ha in
he 20 h cen u y, dea h was less abs ac and mo e embodied, b ough close o indi idual consciousness and pe sonal na a i e.
This con as indica es ha while dea h emained a uni e sal heme ac oss bo h cen u ies, he mode o ep esen a ion
shi ed. In he 19 h cen u y, mo ali y was o en il e ed h ough philosophy, eligion, o allego y, making i less immedia e bu
mo e cul u ally esonan . In he 20 h cen u y, mo ali y became in ima e and some imes unse ling, e lec ing he mode nis and
pos mode nis impulse o in e oga e he sel and disman le adi ional o ms. Thus, he indings con i m ha he li e a y
ea men o dea h is no s a ic bu e ol es wi h cul u al and a is ic pa adigms, mo ing om uni e salized abs ac ion o
pe sonalized con ession.
V. CONCLUSIONS
This s udy se ou o examine how dea h is ep esen ed in selec ed 19 h- and 20 h-cen u y poems, analyzed h ough he
combined lenses o biog aphy, language s yle, and his o ical con ex , and in e p e ed using Küble -Ross’s Fi e S ages o Loss. The
indings p o ide se e al key insigh s.
Fi s , he biog aphical in luence o he au ho eme ged as he s onges ac o in shaping he ep esen a ion o dea h. Poems
such as Cha lo e B on ë’s On he Dea h o Anne B on ë, Edga Allan Poe’s Annabel Lee, and Syl ia Pla h’s Lady Laza us
demons a e ha mo ali y in li e a u e is o en insepa able om li ed expe ience. In hese wo ks, pe sonal g ie becomes a is ic
c ea ion, con i ming ha biog aphy in uses he heme o dea h wi h emo ional au hen ici y and esonance.
Second, language s yle played an equally decisi e ole. Pla h’s isce al image y and Poe’s go hic ly icism exempli y how s ylis ic
choices ampli y he powe o mo ali y in poe y. By con as , Shelley’s philosophical abs ac ions in Queen Mab and Cummings’
expe imen al play ulness in Suppose illus a e he limi a ions o ea ing dea h wi hou s ylis ic embodimen . These esul s a i m
ha he impac o dea h in li e a u e depends no only on wha is said bu also on how i is exp essed.
Thi d, and mos s iking, he yea o publica ion was ound o ha e no signi ican in luence. All eigh poems sco ed a he lowes
le el o his c i e ion, sugges ing ha dea h is ea ed as a imeless conce n a he han as a e lec ion o speci ic his o ical
con ex s. These indings challenge con en ional his o ical-li e a y c i icism, which o en assumes ha con ex hea ily shapes
con en . In he case o dea h, he heme appea s o anscend pe iod-speci ic in luences, ancho ing i sel ins ead in pe sonal and
uni e sal human expe ience.
Taken oge he , hese indings poin o a b oade syn hesis. The 19 h-cen u y poe s o en app oached mo ali y h ough
symbolic, allego ical, o philosophical means, while he 20 h-cen u y poe s leaned owa d con essional, isce al, and expe imen al
ea men s. Mo ali y, he e o e, is no s a ic in i s li e a y ep esen a ion bu shi s ac oss pe iods, s yles, and pe sonal his o ies.
This con i ms ha while dea h is uni e sal, i s po ayal is always e ac ed h ough indi idual and cul u al lenses.
The s udy con ibu es o schola ship by illing a esea ch gap in he analysis o dea h in li e a u e. Exis ing s udies a e o en
ei he pu ely in e p e i e, ocusing on hema ic and symbolic eadings, o psychological, emphasizing g ie heo y. Few a emp
o combine hese app oaches wi h sys ema ic, compa a i e analysis ac oss li e a y pe iods. By in eg a ing li e a y c i icism,
psychological heo y, and s a is ical-s ylis ic me hods, his s udy demons a es how mo ali y unc ions as bo h a pe sonal
expe ience and an a is ic cons uc .
Ne e heless, he s udy acknowledges i s limi a ions. The analysis was es ic ed o eigh Wes e n poems and o he e alua ions
o a small g oup o s uden eade s, which, while insigh ul, canno cap u e he ull ange o global pe spec i es on dea h in
li e a u e. Fu u e esea ch may expand he co pus o include non-Wes e n wo ks, enla ge he esponden base, o apply addi ional
amewo ks such as cul u al s udies o auma heo y.
Ul ima ely, his s udy a i ms ha dea h emains an inexhaus ible subjec o li e a y inqui y. I is a once uni e sal and pe sonal,
abs ac and immedia e, e i ying and edemp i e. By examining i s ep esen a ions ac oss cen u ies, he s udy unde sco es how
li e a u e no only na a es mo ali y bu also gi es oice o he complex human e o o unde s and, esis , and accep i .
Faces o Dea h: A S a is ical- S ylis ic Analysis on Selec ed 19 h and 20 h Cen u y Poems
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5566
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This s udy is en i ely indeb ed o he ollowing people who p o ided hei suppo and u mos gene osi y o he esea che ;
To Alecx Lapuz, Eng . John Vincen L. San os, MP, MEnM, Si Gian Angelo G. A ane a, and Ma’am Diana Ma ie R. Rillon, LPT, Doc
Ed, Doc Tin, Glenn, and Nikko, Da yl and Aqil, o pu ing up wi h he esea che o mo e han en yea s and o emba king his
jou ney wi h he h ough hick and hicke ;
To M . Renzel Jay M. Cab e a, he esea che ’s ancho , whose bold encou agemen , endless pa ience, and unwa e ing belie in
he esea che made his esea ch jou ney no only possible bu meaning ul;
To T ibo O ine o; Ti o Jun, Ti a Leni, Lola, Anak, Hanchi, Ina, A e, Papa+, and Nanay +, o being playma es, siblings, and a he
igu es o he g owing up; and,
To D . Be nade e O ine o-Galla do, no only o se ing as a ole model bu also o p o ing ha in main aining a amily, a man
is only wan ed; no needed; and,
Mos o all, o God Almigh y; o being he E e y hing.
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