Global Educational Research Journal

The way images of death provoke our thoughts in Christina Rossetti’s “Remember” and Mary E. Frye’s “Do not Stand at My Grave and Weep”.

Abstract

This paper explores the profound emotional and philosophical resonance of two iconic poems—Christina Rossetti’s “Remember” and Mary Elizabeth Frye’s “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep”—which reflect on love, memory, and presence beyond physical absence. Though brief in form, these works offer lasting comfort in the face of personal loss and longing. Through an examination of their historical background, poetic structure, and symbolic imagery, this study reveals how both poets use a confessional voice to gently guide the reader from sorrow to serenity. The research further explores how such works continue to influence collective mourning practices and provoke individual reflection. By transforming farewell into remembrance and absence into enduring connection, these poems suggest that nothing truly vanishes—rather, it changes form and continues to live within us. Ultimately, the paper illustrates how poetic expression helps us navigate the invisible threads that bind the seen and unseen, and how art gives voice to what often feels unspeakable.

Keywords: Memory, Mourning, Poetic Expression, Loss and Comfort