Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Living Among the Dead," William Matthews navigates the profound intersection between life and death, reflecting on how the presence of the deceased shapes the living. The poem, beginning with a quotation from Paul Eluard—"There is another world, but it is in this one"—sets the tone for an exploration of the coexistence of the living and the dead, suggesting an ever-present, intertwined reality.

The poem opens with the speaker recalling those who had died before his birth. These figures seem recently departed, their absence still palpable as if their shadows lingered just beyond closed doors. Matthews uses the imagery of furniture passed down from the deceased to symbolize the lingering presence of these ancestors. The act of opening chests of drawers to discover "what the dead kept" represents a deeper exploration of the past and a connection to the personal histories contained within these objects.

As the poem progresses, Matthews shifts focus to the impact of reading and literature on his awareness of the dead. He describes how learning to read introduced him to a world populated by the dead, through stories and characters that have outlived their creators. The mention of "Rapunzel," "the improved animals in the Just-So Stories," and "a flock of birds that saved themselves" invokes a sense of timeless narratives that continue to exist beyond their authors. These stories, like the people who have passed, form an essential part of the speaker's consciousness, a landscape where the dead are alive in memory and imagination.

The poem then transitions to the speaker's role as a father, drawing a parallel between the relationship with his sons and the influence of the dead. The metaphor of being like wine "the dead have already bottled" suggests that the speaker and his children are shaped by those who came before them. The dead, while benevolent, are powerless to affect the living directly, and their goodwill is impotent in altering the course of life. The poignant image of the speaker comforting his son, Sebastian, who cries in his sleep, emphasizes the intimate responsibilities of the living to each other, a stark contrast to the silent, watchful dead.

Matthews poignantly explores the tension between the dead and the living, particularly in the lines "To love the dead is easy. / They are final, perfect." Here, the speaker acknowledges the simplicity of revering the dead, who are static and unchanging, embodying an idealized perfection. In contrast, loving a child is fraught with the potential for failure, as it involves continuous care, uncertainty, and the necessity to turn away from the contemplative mourning of the dead to attend to the immediate needs of the living.

The poem closes with a reflection on the speaker's future, imagining a time when his sons, too, will have their own dead to remember. The speaker envisions himself drifting into sleep, undisturbed, as he dreams only of his sons and those who are "still alive." This concluding image encapsulates the cycle of life and death, suggesting a peaceful acceptance of the natural order, where the living must eventually join the ranks of the dead.

"Living Among the Dead" is a meditation on memory, heritage, and the passage of time. Matthews eloquently captures the complex dynamics between honoring the past and nurturing the present, highlighting the inevitability of death and the importance of love and care for the living. Through its rich imagery and thoughtful reflections, the poem offers a tender exploration of the human condition, where the dead continue to influence and inhabit the world of the living.

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