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“When death comes" is a poem in which the author, Mary Oliver, comtemplates how she should live her life in the most rewarding way possible. Mary considers this goal by comparing living to death, because she believes death and life are important in their own ways. One reason that we chose this is that “When Death Comes” uses a lot of figurative language. One example of this is when Oliver compares death to a bear coming out of hibernation using a simile, in the line “like the angry bear in autumn” (Oliver). Another comparison made is when she compares life to a flower, when she states “each life as a flower” (Oliver). What this line is showing is that the author imagines life as very common, but also life being an individual experience. It can also be interpreted as demonstrating that life is a delicate thing. Additionally, the poem has a strong theme. In the poem the writer is constantly speculating about “when death comes” and saying that they want to have a meaningful life. Mary Oliver is wondering what death is going to feel like and also saying that she wants to have a purpose in her life and not be upset with what she has accomplished. She also doesn't want to feel like she did not make enough of a difference when death comes eventually. This creates the theme that you should not waste the opportunities that present themselves to you. Another plausible theme is that you should live life to the fullest. This is a strong theme, much better than the other poems in the fourth conference. The poem is bittersweet as it creates a feeling of encouragement, but in a melancholy tone. As stated earlier, the author compares lives to flowers, but they also say that they are essential to the earth. This uplifts the reader even though the poem is all about the sad concept of death. This makes the poem convey a much deeper feeling than many others. The underlying themes of death and living life to the fullest deepen the meaning of this poem and allow for co... [View Full Comment] “When death comes" is a poem in which the author, Mary Oliver, comtemplates how she should live her life in the most rewarding way possible. Mary considers this goal by comparing living to death, because she believes death and life are important in their own ways. One reason that we chose this is that “When Death Comes” uses a lot of figurative language. One example of this is when Oliver compares death to a bear coming out of hibernation using a simile, in the line “like the angry bear in autumn” (Oliver). Another comparison made is when she compares life to a flower, when she states “each life as a flower” (Oliver). What this line is showing is that the author imagines life as very common, but also life being an individual experience. It can also be interpreted as demonstrating that life is a delicate thing. Additionally, the poem has a strong theme. In the poem the writer is constantly speculating about “when death comes” and saying that they want to have a meaningful life. Mary Oliver is wondering what death is going to feel like and also saying that she wants to have a purpose in her life and not be upset with what she has accomplished. She also doesn't want to feel like she did not make enough of a difference when death comes eventually. This creates the theme that you should not waste the opportunities that present themselves to you. Another plausible theme is that you should live life to the fullest. This is a strong theme, much better than the other poems in the fourth conference. The poem is bittersweet as it creates a feeling of encouragement, but in a melancholy tone. As stated earlier, the author compares lives to flowers, but they also say that they are essential to the earth. This uplifts the reader even though the poem is all about the sad concept of death. This makes the poem convey a much deeper feeling than many others. The underlying themes of death and living life to the fullest deepen the meaning of this poem and allow for contemplation. [Hide Full Comment]

then f u