Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Moss's poem "Elegy for Myself" presents a profound meditation on mortality, identity, and the transformation of the self after death. Through its rich imagery and contemplative tone, the poem explores the dissolution of the individual and the merging with collective memory, creating a deeply introspective elegy that blurs the lines between life and death, the singular and the plural.

The poem begins with a striking image: "The ashes and dust are laughing, swaddled, perfumed and powdered, laughing at the flowers, the mirrors they brought to check his breath,". This personification of ashes and dust introduces a paradoxical sense of life within death. The "laughing" ashes suggest a release from earthly concerns, a final, almost joyful liberation. The ritualistic elements—being "swaddled, perfumed and powdered"—highlight the human attempts to honor and remember the deceased, yet the laughter implies a detachment from these ceremonial acts.

The line "—and he no longer singular" signifies the fundamental change in identity that death brings. The individual ceases to exist as a single entity and becomes part of a larger, collective memory. The question "Who will carry his dust home in merriment?" underscores the sorrow and the duty of those left behind to care for the remains, blending the sacred with a hint of the absurdity found in life’s rituals surrounding death.

Moss continues to explore this theme of plurality with "These things need a pillow, a clay pot, a wife, a dog, a friend." The deceased, now plural, is connected to the people and objects that once surrounded him. This line reflects the interconnectedness of life, suggesting that identity is constructed not just by oneself but through relationships and possessions. The transformation into a collective being is further emphasized with "Plural now he is all the mourners of his father's house, and all the nights and mornings." This statement positions the deceased as encompassing all those who grieve and the temporal moments of mourning, highlighting the shift from the personal to the communal.

The poem then delves into linguistic transformation: "to place him with 'they love' and 'they wrote,' not he loves and he writes." This shift from singular to plural pronouns signifies the transition from an active, living presence to a remembered entity. The effort it took for "those Ss to fly off" speaks to the difficulty and pain of letting go of a person's active role in the world, transforming them into a subject of memory and history. The "new part of speech" required to describe the deceased reflects the profound change in how we speak of those who have passed.

In the final lines, Moss provides a powerful metaphor: "Now he is something like a good small company of actors, the text, not scripture, begins 'I am laughing.'" This comparison to a troupe of actors suggests that the deceased now embodies multiple roles and identities, much like a cast performing different parts. The text beginning with "I am laughing" echoes the earlier image of the laughing ashes, bringing the poem full circle and reinforcing the theme of liberation and transcendence. The distinction between "text" and "scripture" indicates that this is a personal, human narrative rather than a divine or religious one, emphasizing the secular and intimate nature of the reflection.

"Elegy for Myself" by Howard Moss is a poignant exploration of death and identity, capturing the transition from individual to collective memory with profound sensitivity. The poem’s imagery and thematic depth invite readers to reflect on the nature of existence, the role of memory, and the ways in which we continue to live on in the thoughts and lives of those we leave behind. Through his masterful use of language, Moss creates an elegy that is both deeply personal and universally resonant, celebrating the enduring connections that define our humanity.

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