Graveyard Blues

This is a poem centered around the process of remembrance once a loved one has passed away. The speaker grapples with the confusing and overwhelming feelings they experience in the wake of their mother’s death. The final stanza offers healing, as the cycle of grief is broken.

Graveyard Blues
Natasha Trethewey

It rained the whole time we were laying her down; Rained from church to grave when we put her down. The suck of mud at our feet was a hollow sound. 

When the preacher called out I held up my hand; When he called for a witness I raised my hand— Death stops the body’s work, the soul’s a journeyman. (...)

Read the full text to 'Graveyard Blues'.

Summary

‘Graveyard Blues’ by Natasha Trethewey is a poem that explores the experience of burying a loved one and the emotions surrounding this loss. It opens with the image of rain, which persists throughout the funeral proceedings, symbolizing the sorrow and tears of those mourning. The act of laying the mother to rest is described in detail, with the mud sucking at the feet of the mourners, creating a hollow sound that echoes the emptiness felt by those left behind.

As the preacher speaks, the speaker raises their hand in acknowledgment, emphasizing the finality of death and the journey of the soul beyond the body’s earthly confines. The sun breaks through the clouds as the speaker turns to leave, feeling that it judges them, highlighting the emotional difficulty of parting ways.

The journey home is depicted as a rough road filled with potholes, much like the bumpy path that grief carries us along, and the challenges faced in moving forward after loss. The road is a metaphor for life, with time carrying the speaker down the road, hitting potholes which represent the trials of life. Despite the speaker’s desire to slow down, time forces them to move on, both figuratively and literally.

In the last four lines of the poem, the speaker’s tense changes from past to present. The poem concludes with the speaker reflecting on their visits to the graveyard, where they find comfort in seeing their mother’s name engraved on a tombstone. The final image of the speaker resting their head on the stone pillow of the grave suggests a sense of connection even in death.

In essence, ‘Graveyard Blues’ is a meditation on loss, memory, and the lasting presence of loved ones even after they are gone. Through its evocative imagery and reflective tone, the poem captures the universal experience of mourning while offering glimpses of hope and healing amidst the pain.

Expert Commentary

Insights by Caitlin McGill

B.A. Honours first-class division degree in English Literature and History

This poem feels like a gentle, vulnerable reassurance that having complex emotions during the grieving process is normal. Perhaps there is no modern poet better equipped to understand these feelings than Trethewey, who at the young age of seventeen, had to confront the unthinkable. It is one thing to lose a loved one, and an entirely different thing to lose a loved one to a senseless act of violence, perpetrated by someone with whom you were intimately familiar. Trethewey seizes power in the final stanza, reclaiming what has been taken from her during this experience. The speaker is able to move on, still remembering their mother and missing her, but no longer confined to the suffocating cycle of intense grief and shock.

Literary Devices

Trethewey uses a number of literary devices to create this deeply emotive poem. Here are the most significant devices to look out for:

• Imagery: This is employed to construct a vivid scene, into which the reader is quickly immersed. This allows them to better connect with the speaker emotionally, feeling the same grif and pain they do in the wake of their mother’s loss. For instance, the line “It rained the whole time we were laying her down” uses visual imagery and tactile imagery to create a mood of sadness during the funeral. Likewise, the line “The suck of mud at our feet was a hollow sound” engages the reader through both tactile and auditory imagery, placing them alongside the speaker in the mud which threatens to swallow them whole.
• Metaphor: This device forms the backbone of this masterful poem, as Trethewey creates comparisons for the emotions felt during the grieving process. This allows the reader to better understand this process and all of the ups and downs it entails. The most notable example of metaphor in this poem comes in stanza four. The entire tercet is a metaphor, characterising life as a road, down which the speaker is carried by time. The “holes” which riddle the road’s surface are a metaphor for the trials of life, including the death of a loved one.
• Symbolism: The poet employs this device in a way that gives objects and elements in the poem a symbolic connotation. For example, the rain is used as a leitmotif in the poem, representing tears and the burden of grief. The line “Glared down on me as I turned and walked away” employs the sun as a motif of realism and the necessity to go on, even in sorrow. These elements of symbolism enrich the poem at the thematic level and play a role in its effect.
• Repetition: Trethewey uses repetition in the poem to emphasize certain ideas and feelings that she wants to convey. The use of phrases such as “when we put her down” and “I turned to walk away” is also done to emphasize the fact that the process of grieving is indeed a cycle and that loss is forever present. These repetitions help to make the poem rhythmic, which gives it a musical feel and a good feeling when being read. However, this repetition is broken in the final stanza. Due to the pattern established, the omission of repetition is just as significant as its presence. It breaks the cyclical nature of grief, as the speaker moves on in the present.

Structure and Form

This poem comprises of five stanzas, with the first four being tercets with three lines each, and the final stanza being a couplet, consisting of only two lines. This is similar – but not identical – to the structure of the Shakespearean sonnet. These contain three alternately-rhymed tercets ending with a rhyming couplet. However, this poem has an additional tercet and follows a rhyme scheme of AAA.

This regular rhyme scheme adds a lyrical quality to the poem, which is often praised for its song-like structure. Furthermore, the use of the tercet structure and AAA rhyme scheme reflects the cyclicality and repetition inherent in themes of grief and loss. The repetition of sounds and patterns echoes the recurring nature of mourning and the enduring presence of memories. This structural choice also highlights the interconnectedness of the speaker’s experiences and emotions, as each stanza builds upon the preceding one, leading to a cumulative effect.

The final stanza deviates slightly from the established structure, containing only two lines instead of three. This deviation underscores the significance of the speaker’s reflection on their mother’s name and the sense of closure and acceptance that it brings.

Themes

One of the most prominent themes explored in the poem is the experience of grief and mourning. Throughout the poem, the speaker grapples with the emotional weight of burying their mother and coming to terms with her absence, evident in lines such as “It rained the whole time we were laying her down” and “Glared down on me as I turned and walked away,” which evoke a sense of sorrow and heaviness in the face of loss.

Another key area that Trethewey puts forward to the reader is the passing of time and the cyclical nature of life and death. The speaker reflects on the inevitability of death and the ongoing journey of the soul beyond the physical realm. This theme is exemplified in lines like “Death stops the body’s work, the soul’s a journeyman,” which emphasize the transient nature of human existence and the continuation of life beyond the grave.

Furthermore, ‘Graveyard Blues’ also touches upon the concept of memory and remembrance. The speaker wanders among the names of the dead, finding consolation in seeing their mother’s name engraved on a tombstone. This theme is highlighted in the concluding lines of the poem: “My mother’s name, stone pillow for my head,” where the speaker finds comfort and connection in preserving the memory of their loved one.

Additionally, the poem explores themes of journey and transition. As the speaker navigates the funeral proceedings and the journey home, they confront the physical and emotional obstacles of moving forward after loss. This theme is conveyed through lines such as “The road going home was pocked with holes,” which symbolize the challenges and uncertainties of the path ahead.

Detailed Analysis

Stanza One

It rained the whole time we were laying her down;

Rained from church to grave when we put her down.

The suck of mud at our feet was a hollow sound.

The first line sets the mood and tone of the poem as the weather reflects the speaker’s emotions. It is overcast, wet, and dismal – imagery which is symbolic of the grief which the occasion elicits. The importance of this symbolism is reinforced through the repetition of “rained”. The second occurrence of the rain “from church to grave” gives the impression of the rain following the funeral procession. It is as if the world is expressing its own sadness for the death of the speaker’s mother.

Epiphora is used in the repetition of “her down” at the ends of lines one and two. This is used to emphasise the action, but also establishes a pattern which will continue until the final stanza.

Note the ambiguity of “put her down”, which is only contextualised by the mention of a “grave”. This use of allusion highlights the speaker’s hesitance to explicitly refer to a burial. As such, the speaker’s emotional turmoil becomes evident to the reader.

The “mud” is almost personified through the “suck” it creates at the mourner’s feet. They are dragged down both physically and emotionally, as they must fight to move forward. This emotional metaphor is enriched by the use of auditory imagery in “hollow”. While Trethewey draws upon a common sound known to readers, its “hollow” nature now reflects the lives and feelings of the mourners. Without the presence of the speaker’s mother, their lives feel hollow and meaningless.

Stanza Two

When the preacher called out I held up my hand;

When he called for a witness I raised my hand—

Death stops the body’s work, the soul’s a journeyman.

The use of epiphora can be seen again in the repetition of “my hand”. The speaker uses this as a manner of volunteering, feeling they must fulfil their duty to their mother.

It is important to note that the word “witness” is perhaps an allusion to the Christian burial ceremony. These funerals are known as “witness to the resurrection”; as such, the speaker’s readiness to contribute reflects their acceptance of the death. They know their mother’s soul must move onto the next life.

This is reflected in the final line of this stanza, which is italicised to imply these are the preacher’s words. Presumably, they are part of the sermon he is reading as the coffin is lowered. The personification of the soul as a “journeyman” reinforces the interpretation that the speaker has accepted the transition of the soul into the afterlife. It characterises death as a continuation of life, apart from the body.

Stanza Three

The sun came out when I turned to walk away,

(…)

My back to my mother, leaving her where she lay.

A greater portion of the first and second lines is now repeated through epiphora, giving the impression of incremental repetition. The recurring phrase “walked away” emphasises the slow, agonising pace of this walk. It is emotionally difficult for the speaker, who feels they are “leaving” their mother. This is tinged with guilt and betrayal, as their tone conveys regret for walking away. To them, it feels like abandonment.

The first line of this stanza seems to promise a brighter future, dispelling the rain as it brings warmth back into the speaker’s life. However, the second line provides a clarification of this, as the sun is personified as glaring at the speaker. Perhaps, this comes from the speaker’s guilt, feeling judged by the world around them as they leave their mother’s graveside.

A sense of neglect is reinforced as the speaker describes themselves as “back to my mother”. This reinforces the idea that the speaker feels that they are abandoning their mother. However, they cannot stand at her graveside forever. The distance between the two, confined to different realms, becomes physical.

The overpowering sense of guilt and regret in this stanza is likely linked to Trethewey’s own life and emotions. As her mother was murdered when Trethewey was only 17, it is likely she would have felt responsible for her mother’s death. This is not due to any rational reason, but simply the agonising thought “I should have done something different”.

Stanza Four

The road going home was pocked with holes,

(…)

Though we slow down, time’s wheel still rolls.

An uncanny sense of normalcy returns in the phrase “road going home”. The road, their home, and the journey remain the same: one they have travelled innumerable times before. This sense of familiarity is underlined by “always”. However, it feels out of place with the tone of the poem, emphasising the strange feeling of returning to normalcy after a great loss.

The anaphoric pair of lines at the beginning of this stanza also feature anastrophe, as the “road going home” is transformed into the “home-going road”. This reinforces the strangeness of returning to the familiar, which is now fundamentally changed from the speaker’s new perspective. Life without their mother is the same, but different. Note the change from past tense in the first line to the simple present tense in the second. This shows that the speaker is being forced to move on.

While the first two lines harbour these meaningful literary devices, it is important to also consider the nature of the lines themselves. The “holes” and the “road” are literal, but they are also metaphorical. Time becomes a metaphorical vehicle, carrying the speaker down the “road” of life. The “holes” which have “always” been there stop the speaker’s journey from being smooth, instead tossing them from one side to another. Each threatens to tip the vehicle they are within. These “holes” are a metaphor for the troubles in life, such as relationships, careers, or in this case, death.

Movement and stasis are juxtaposed in the final line of this stanza, contrasting the speaker’s desire to slow down and grieve with the relentless progression of time. This reinforces the idea that life goes on after loss, regardless of how one feels.

Stanza Five

            I wander now among names of the dead:

            (…)

As the form of the poem is broken, Trethewey uses a concluding couplet as opposed to the tercets used throughout. This change to a stanzaic form of fewer lines symbolises the speaker’s journey to move on after their mother’s death. This is reflected in the transition to the present tense in the final four lines of the poem, showing that time has moved on along with the speaker. As they continue to visit the graveyard, the action of turning their “back to [their] mother” is nullified. They have not abandoned her, and their ability to visit her in the present is evidence of a healing journey. Life returns to normal in the wake of death.

This is furthered through the discontinuation of repetition in this stanza, which featured in every preceding stanza in their first two lines. These repetitions symbolise the cyclical, inescapable nature of grief and death. As the speaker abandons repetition in this stanza, they show that they have broken the cycle. While they still mourn, they no longer feel trapped by their grief.

The speaker uses synecdoche, allowing “names of the dead” to represent gravestones and, on a larger scale, a graveyard. The word “wander” is relaxed and introspective, reflecting Trethewey’s own admission that she feels the need to look at the name written on every gravestone. This functions as a practice of honouring and remembrance, as the speaker pays their respects.

As the speaker uses synecdoche for their own mother’s gravestone, the clause “My mother’s name” features the consonance of “m”. This aligns with the message and tone of the final couplet, as it quietens the oral pronunciation, creating a soothing and comforting tone. This reflects the sanctuary the speaker finds at this place of remembrance.

This is reinforced by the second half of this line: “stone pillow for my head”. The “stone pillow” is oxymoronic – it is both hard and soft. This reflects the contradicting emotions the speaker feels, as they are both saddened by the headstone and comforted by it. The pillow carries further connotations of comfort, provided specifically to the speaker as the pillow is for their “head” alone. This creates a sense of intimacy in this act, uniting mother and child, even through death.

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