These thought-provoking verses grapple with the age-old desire for eternal life or lasting legacy. Immortality poems may explore the human quest for transcendence, whether through pursuing fame, profoundly impacting others, or seeking spiritual enlightenment.
They raise questions about mortality and the ephemeral nature of existence, inspiring readers to contemplate their place in the vast time continuum. These poems offer reflections on the human condition and our eternal imprint on the world through our actions, memories, and creations.
‘Bards of Passion and of Mirth’ by John Keats is one of the poet’s early odes. In it, Keats confirms that bards, or authors, have two souls, with one rising to heaven, and the other staying on earth.
The main themes in 'Bards of Passion and of Mirth' are death and immortality, as Keats ponders how bards, or poets/authors, live eternally through their writing. However, Keats takes that idea a step further and imagines that storytellers have two souls, one of which stays on earth to teach people, and one of which goes to heaven to learn divine truths.
‘Sonnet 55’ ‘Not marble nor the gilded monuments’ delves into poetry’s immortality and seeks to immortalize the addressee’s memories.
This sonnet delves into the universal and timeless yearning of immortalizing one by leaving one's memory in various ways, like the affluent class used to build statues or grand monuments to mark their name in history. However, the sonnet finds the art of poetry the most enduring way of immortalizing one's memories, as nothing can stand the test of time and history (its wars and catastrophes) like it; it lacks the materiality of other things and cannot be destroyed by violent forces. Moreover, the speaker seems to impress the addresses by fulfilling the wish of immortality as immortalizing one is a universal human desire, and the speaker emphasizes how their poetry will keep the addressee alive, outlasting grand emblems.
“Venice — Venus?” by Hilda Doolittle is an insightful poem about Doolittle’s reasons for writing despite critiques. Doolittle reveals that her ultimate source of inspiration is divine.
In "Venice — Venus?" the poet explains that without poetry, she would die. This idea stems from the poet's belief that her voice and her poetic voice are one and the same, and that without poetry, she would have no place on earth. However, by continuing to write, Doolittle finds immortality as people continue to read her works.
‘Circe’s Torment’ delves into Circe’s emotional struggles, exploring themes of power, desire, and loneliness while challenging traditional mythological portrayals.
Immortality is a double-edged sword in 'Circe's Torment,' serving as both a source of power and a burden for Circe. While she possesses eternal life, it comes at the cost of enduring loneliness and existential anguish. Glück explores the paradox of immortality, depicting it as a curse that fuels Circe's torment and complicates her relationship with mortality.
‘The Grave and The Rose’ by Victor Hugo is an intriguing poem that inquires and attempts to answer essential questions about death and change.
Both the rose and the grave, as much as they can perceive death, do not see it as the end. Instead, death is more of a transition phase between life and the afterlife. This, of course, reveals Hugo's religious faith and his belief in the immortality of all souls. Yet, it also underscores his passionate optimism in the face of tragedy.
‘Whispers of Immortality’ contemplates yearning for immortality and the power of art amidst the permanence of death.
'Whispers of Immortality' primarily centers on human immortality contemplating the human desire for immortality and the permanence of the transient nature of human life. The poem reflects on the hollowness of worldly pursuits as they are disconnected from any meaning and immortality; for immorality, the poem offers a search for higher truth and meaning, hinting at spiritual transcendence while attributing art as a medium for attaining higher meaning and moving toward immortality.
Donne’s ‘Death, be not proud,’ rooted in the Christian idea of the afterlife, challenges the personified death, exposing its illusory power.
The speaker asserts, 'For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow / Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.' Here, he challenges death's power, claiming those it 'kills' do not truly die but transition to another realm, and thus, it cannot even kill him. This implies humans possess an immortal soul that merely leaves the earthly realm. Death itself is temporary, likened to sleep that ends as the soul awakens in the afterlife. Thus, immortality is portrayed as the true nature of existence, rendering death powerless and ephemeral.
‘Sonnet 107’ by William Shakespeare addresses how the speaker and the Fair Youth are going to be memorialized and outsmart death through the “poor rhyme” of poetry.
Immortality is a central theme in ‘Sonnet 107,’ as Shakespeare reflects on the power of poetry to transcend time. Lines like ‘While he insults o’er dull and speechless tribes’ highlight the permanence of verse, contrasting it with those who will be forgotten. The sonnet’s closing lines reinforce the idea that poetry will outlive monuments and tyrants. By linking his verse to immortality, Shakespeare expresses a deep belief in the endurance of art, presenting a clear message that words can achieve what life alone cannot.
Li Bai’s ‘Taking Leave of a Friend’ uses different literary techniques to convey the themes of transience, nature, longing, and friendship.
This poem addresses the issue of immortality by highlighting the short-lived nature of life and relationships. Through the use of imagery and metaphors, Li Bai emphasizes the impermanence of human existence and the inevitability of change. However, the poem also suggests that the enduring power of friendship and the memories that are created can live on beyond the physical realm. This idea of immortality through memory is a common theme in Li Bai's poetry, and it is particularly evident in 'Taking Leave of a Friend'.
Blue mountains lie beyond the north wall;
Round the city's eastern side flows the white water.
‘The Choir Invisible’ by George Eliot describes the hopes a speaker has for the afterlife and the impact her memory might have on those still living.
The poem is one of the finest explorations of immortality conceived as a lasting moral influence rather than a literal afterlife. Eliot redefines immortality through the enduring impact of one’s good deeds on future generations. Her profound meditation on living beyond oneself offers deep insights into the human desire for lasting significance.
‘The Bard: A Pindaric Ode’ written by Thomas Gray, depicts the ruthless torment unleashed upon poets by the tyrant King Edward I.
The poem explores the theme of immortality through the bard's curse on the English king. Despite his death, the bard's curse is seen as a legacy that will haunt the King and ensure his downfall. This idea of achieving immortality through one's actions or words is a common theme in literature and is explored in this poem through the bard's curse.
In ‘Lycidas,’ Milton employs the pastoral elegy to memorialize the death of his friend, Edward King. As he transforms King’s life into an allegory, Milton interrogates Christian ideology and the form of epic poetry.
The conclusion of 'Lycidas' sees the titular figure go on to an everlasting life in Heaven, which gives the speaker some comfort in the wake of his death. Another component of this theme is the speaker's own concerns about whether or not his fame as a poet will live on.
‘Heredity’ by Thomas Hardy is a persona poem personalizing the titular speaker who brags about its ability to outlive individual human lives.
Immortality is a dominant theme in this poem. The poet persona, Heredity, celebrates its immortality relative to the human lifespan. It mentions it "heeds no call to die," unlike man whose "flesh perishes."
‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ by John Keats is an ekphrastic poem that praises the timeless ideals preserved by art, providing a sublime alternative to life’s fleeting impermanence.
One of the reasons the speaker idolizes the figures carved into the Grecian urn is owed to their timelessness. Unlike their mortal audience, the respective subjects and elements that comprise a work of art are themselves eternal and immortal. "When old age shall this generation waste, / Thou shalt remain," as Keats so succinctly puts it.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 1, ‘From fairest creatures we desire increase,’ appeals to the Fair Youth to procreate and preserve his beauty.
In 'Sonnet 1,' immortality is linked to leaving a lasting legacy concerning physical appearance and character. It suggests that through procreation, individuals can transcend the limitations of mortality, achieving an enduring presence beyond one's lifetime, a kind of immortality. This idea is enunciated in lines like, 'That thereby beauty's rose might never die' and 'But as the riper should by time decease/ His tender heir might bear his memory.'
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