Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GRAVE OF RACHEL by IVAN ALEKSEYEVITCH (ALEXEYVICH) BUNIN

Poem Explanation Poet Analysis

First Line: AND SHE DIED, AND JACOB BURIED HER ...'
Last Line: PERHAPS WE'LL MEET THE NORFOLK GIRLS, %AND PORTSMOUTH MAIDENS, TOO
And she died, and Jacob buried
her on the way..." And on the tomb there is
no name, no inscriptions, no signs.

At night, a faint light shines in it,
And the dome of the coffin, whitened with chalk,
is dressed in mysterious pallor.

I approach timidly in the darkness
And with trepidation I kiss the chalk and dust
On this convex and white stone...

The sweetest of earthly words! Rachel!


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