Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Linda Pastan's poem "Memorial Gardens, Queens" presents a stark and evocative meditation on death and the crowded, almost claustrophobic nature of burial in an urban cemetery. The poem contrasts the physical reality of interment with the speaker's longing for a more ethereal and expansive form of posthumous existence. Through its vivid imagery and contemplative tone, the poem explores the tension between the traditional practice of burial and the speaker's desire for a different kind of memorialization.

The poem begins with a vivid metaphor, describing the cemetery as a "tenement / of headstones." This image immediately evokes the sense of overcrowding and confinement typically associated with urban living spaces, but here, it is applied to the realm of the dead. The use of "tenement" suggests that the deceased are crammed together in tight quarters, their graves stacked and packed like the cramped apartments in a city tenement building. This metaphor underscores the lack of space and the impersonality of the burial grounds, where individual identities are reduced to mere markers in a sea of headstones.

The dead are described as "jostling" each other "underground / in a perpetual / rush hour." This depiction of the dead in a state of constant motion, albeit metaphorically, adds to the sense of unease and discomfort. The phrase "rush hour" evokes the stress and chaos of city life, suggesting that even in death, there is no peace or stillness. The image of bones—"thigh bone / to thigh bone"—conveys a physical intimacy that feels almost invasive, as if the dead are forced into close proximity with one another in a way that mirrors the crowded conditions of life in the city. The language here implies a lack of dignity or rest, as the deceased are caught in an eternal, cramped existence beneath the earth.

The speaker's reaction to this scene is one of visceral discomfort: "Holding my breath / I drive by." The act of holding one's breath is typically associated with avoiding something unpleasant or overwhelming, and in this context, it suggests the speaker's attempt to distance herself from the oppressive reality of the cemetery. The image of driving by, rather than stopping or engaging with the site, reinforces the idea of avoidance and the desire to escape from the suffocating atmosphere of the burial ground.

The poem then shifts to the speaker's personal reflection on death, imagining "cremation, of ashes / rising on their stems of smoke." This vision of cremation stands in stark contrast to the earlier depiction of burial. Instead of being confined underground, the speaker imagines her ashes ascending, transforming into something light and ethereal. The "stems of smoke" suggest a delicate, organic process, as if the ashes are blossoming into a new form of existence. This imagery evokes a sense of freedom and release, as the speaker envisions her remains dispersing into the atmosphere rather than being trapped in the earth.

The poem concludes with a powerful and expansive image: the ashes "flower / in the empty spaces / between stars." Here, the speaker imagines her cremated remains becoming part of the cosmos, filling the vast, empty spaces between celestial bodies. This vision of posthumous existence is not only beautiful but also profoundly liberating, as it contrasts sharply with the crowded, constrained conditions of the cemetery. The idea of "flowering" suggests growth, renewal, and beauty, as if the speaker's essence will contribute to the vast, mysterious beauty of the universe. The "empty spaces / between stars" represent the infinite, unbounded potential of the cosmos, a place where the speaker can finally find peace and freedom.

"Memorial Gardens, Queens" is a meditation on death that juxtaposes the physical reality of burial with a more transcendental vision of cremation and cosmic rebirth. Through its striking imagery and contemplative tone, the poem explores the tension between the claustrophobic nature of traditional burial practices and the speaker's desire for a more expansive, liberated form of existence after death. Pastan's language captures the discomfort of the cemetery while also offering a more hopeful, imaginative alternative, suggesting that the way we think about death and memorialization can deeply affect our sense of peace and comfort.

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