Andrew Hudgins' diction, point of view and tone used in "Elegy for My Father, Who is Not Dead" convey feelings of fear, jealousy and uncertainty in the possibility of an afterlife. The speaker, discussing the future death of his father, is forced to confront his own convictions as to the finality of death. All religions have a belief in a "life after death" in some form. Hudgins' is pessimistic as to any form of a life hereafter. He is attempting to understand his father's beliefs and the effect of the poem on the reader is to question one's own faith and beliefs in a life hereafter.

The speaker has apparently placed serious thought on his father's death and is attempting to alleviate his own fear of losing his father. An impression is given early that the matters of death and a life after death have been debated. The speaker is aware that "One da

y I'll lift the telephone/and be told my father's dead...." (1-2) He is seeking to find an answer to conquer his fear of losing his father. The fear of the speaker produces the stark contrast in the characters. Whereas the father is joyfully anticipating his own death, the speaker is not and will not entertain the notion "about the world beyond this world."

The speakers' tone is pessimistic in contrast to the optimistic view of his father in regards to the possibility of an afterlife. Hudgin's questions his father's faith by giving examples of his belief. "....I can't/just say good-bye as cheerfully/as if he were embarking on a trip/to make my later trip go well" describes the negative tone of the speaker. He states that his father will still be trying to help him, yet he will not allow himself to believe that is possible. Hudgin's implies that death could also be a rebirth in that "[his father will]

Some common words found in the essay are:
Father Dead, Andrew Hudgins', life hereafter, possibility afterlife, search own beliefs, fear losing father, hereafter speaker, Elegy Father, elegy father dead, life hereafter speaker, search own, death beginning, losing father, own beliefs, views death, whereas father, life death,
Approximate Word count = 614
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)