The fear of death seems to be based on two things: the finality of death and the uncertainty of what follows. Many works have been written on the topic, some to offer consolation, others hope, and still others to urge readers to correct their behavior during life itself. The conflicting views put forward by different societies may never be reconciled, since nobody comes back to tell of an afterlife.

Robert Frost successfully delineates this process in his poem, "Out, Out -" as he describes how the boy in the poem experiences the first stage of impending death - that of denial. Frost paints a picture of school age children doing the household chores of adults. Death with children is especially disturbing because in our unconscious mind we are all immortal, s

The eyes around - had wrung them dry-

No one believed. They listened at his heart...

Such fear is a thing of the past in Emily Dickinson's Poem, "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" as she describes the very essence of stage four of the grieving process - acceptance. Both the dying and the survivors have experienced the depression - the painful process where they must gradually give up all future expectations as they say farewell to the loved one they will lose.

And he was rich, yes, richer than a king

turned to their affairs. (Frost 30, 31, 33, 34)

The calmness and the sereneness of the failing life form are interposed with that of a common fly. Dickinson reduces all that life stands for into the form of something that is free to spread its wings and take off for the sky, not in search of heaven, at least not yet. The fly with its uncertain stumbling buzz begins to take on the framework of the only thing standing between life and death as the eyes shut and its image is replaced with one of peace and harmony, escaping this world of struggle to gain God's eternal reward.

And admirably schooled in every grace

All three authors deal with and do a good job of portraying the stages of grief that impending death brings, no matter what form it comes in. There are allusions in all three poems of earlier years when life and death were narrower spans in time than they are today as our life expectancies rise. A true sign of the times each author lived in.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Robert Frost, Dickinson's Poem, Richard Corey, , Norton Company, Dickinson Emily, American Literature, american literature ed, York Norton, Murphy York, Ed Francis, literature ed francis, york norton company, company 1995, stage grieving, norton company, york norton, life death, murphy york, ed francis, francis murphy york, ed francis murphy, american literature, norton anthology, anthology american,
Approximate Word count = 1132
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)