Mirrors of Life and Death
A speaker perceives the mysteries of life and death dimly, comparing them to changing skies, flowers, animals, waters, music, and seasons. The comparisons include renewal, decay, suffering, and restlessness, ending with winter’s dead hidden in white and waiting for light.
By Christina Georgina Rossetti · Genre: Meditative Poetry, Nature Poetry · 1,101 words
First lines
The mystery of Life, the mystery / Of Death, I see / Darkly as in a glass; / Their shadows pass, / And talk with me.
As the flush of a Morning Sky, / As a Morning Sky colorless -- / Each yields its measure of light / To a wet world or a dry; / Each fares through day to night / With equal pace, / And then each one / Is done.
Genres
- Meditative Poetry — The speaker considers the mysteries of life and death through successive comparisons rather than a continuous story.
- Nature Poetry — Flowers opening and dying, an eagle returning to earth, restless seas, and changing seasons provide the poem’s comparisons.
Tags
mortality · natural cycles · flowers · animals · seasons
What this Textopian page supports
Mirrors of Life and Death is listed on Textopian as a poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Christina Georgina Rossetti
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Meditative Poetry, Nature Poetry
- Length: 1,101 words
- Structure: 1 section, 21 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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