Death is a phenomenon that should not be feared by people; instead, it should be embraced. In Latin communities, Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated October thirty-first, through November first and second. During this holiday, death is celebrated and embraced; it is seen more as a blessing than a time for mourning. Like Dia de Los Muertos, the following poems, “Death Is Nothing at All” by Henry Scott-Holland, “Music, When Soft Voices Die” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, and “Because I Could Not Wait for Death” by Emily Dickinson perceive and portray Death as peaceful, provide comfort for easy transition for loved ones to mourn, and lets the reader see death as a step into eternal life- an afterlife.
One holiday that uses all three of these traits is Dia de Los Muertos. Dia de Los Muertos
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is celebrated by many Latino communities and originate in Mexico. Like the following poems, Dia de Los Muertos perceives death as peaceful; it honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations. It is a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by Spanish conquistadores. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar. The indigenous believed that the gates to heaven were opened at midnight on October thirty-first, and the deceased children, or angelitos, are allowed to reunite with their families for twenty-four hours. On November second, the spirits of the adults come to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. On this day in Mexico, the streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations of papel picado, flowers, candy skulls, and parades. Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Dia de Los Muertos celebrated the lives of the deceased with food, drinks, party, and activities that the dead enjoyed during their lives.In order to celebrate, the families of the deceased make altars and place offerings of the food, sugar skulls, candles, incense, and yellow marigolds for the departed loved one. Most importanlty, a photo of the departed soul In most villages, Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones. “Death is Nothing at All” is written by author Henry Scott-Holland. Holland was born in Ledbury, United Kingdom on January 27th, 1847(Simkin). Henry Scott-Holland was a Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. He was also a canon of Christ Church, Oxford. While at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Henry Scott-Holland delivered the sermon “Death is Nothing At All” in May of 1910, following the death of King Edward VII. It was for funeral services in order to help loved ones mourn their loss without creating hurt; the poem focuses more on the positive aspects of the departed one's’ life. The quote, “If love is real, then it will always stay with you and change your own living”(Lane), validates his idea that even though the loved one is departed, the love and memories are still with those who are mourning. Henry Scott-Holland died on March 17th, 1918(Simkin). In Holland’s poem, he creates an optimistic point of view of separation between someone who has died and those who are mourning by providing comfort. In letting the reader know their loved one is not completely gone, Holland states “I have only slipped away into the next room”(Holland). This line gives the example that those who are passed are not as far away as we think and closer to us than we think; these are comforting words to someone who is mourning. After analyzing Holland’s poem, Morrison stated, “I am comforted by Holland’s poetic imagery that my [loved ones] are in the next room, just out of sight around the corner, but present forever”. Another line that represents comfort and optimism in Holland’s poem, includes the line, “Laugh as we always laughed/ at the little jokes we always enjoyed together. Play, smile think of me, pray for me...I am waiting for you for an interval/ somewhere very near/just around the corner/all is well.” These lines help the reader easily transition into mourning with comfort by explaining that even though the deceased is gone, their memories will continue with their loved one. Christopher Idle, author and hymnwriter-who wrote more than three hundred hymns-, reflected on Holland’s poem and created an alternative interpretation of his own. He believes that what Holland says should not be used during a funeral because it gives false hope to the listeners; however, he likes to use the idea of the comfort the poem itself gives. So, Idle created his own interpretation, by still keeping the easy transition into mourning. The words, “Death is a time for speaking. Telling the joy memories past, telling of hopes, partly fulfilled; telling of growing and travelling, learning and finding, laughter and ears, a time for talk and a time for stories. Death is a time for listening. Listening to friends, reading their words, listening to memories, hearing their music. Death is a time for silence. When words fail, sitting alone or quiet with my friends, watching or waiting, thinking and looking. Death is a time for loving. Love never fails, love to the end; love all who love me and those who do not; love to heal wounds, love to accept, love to build bridges, love to forgive and know I’m forgiven.” still reflect the feeling Holland wanted to provide to his listeners, while keeping a more realistic view of death. These words represent how we would like death to be, instead of something which wrecks and shatters lives(Oakley). Dia de Los muertos is a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by Spanish conquistadores.
Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar. The indigenous people believed that the gates to heaven were opened at midnight on October thirty-first, and the deceased children, or angelitos, are allowed to reunite with their families for twenty-four hours. On November second, the spirits of the adults come to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. On this day in Mexico, the streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations of papel picado, flowers, candy skulls, and parades. Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Dia de Los Muertos celebrated the lives of the deceased with food, drinks, party, and activities that the dead enjoyed during their lives.In order to celebrate, the families of the deceased make altars and place offerings of the food, sugar skulls, candles, incense, and yellow marigolds for the departed loved one. Most importanlty, a photo of the departed soul In most villages, Dia de los
Muertos Holland’s final lines in his poem are true examples to help those who are mourning deal with this big transition of their lives. The lines, “Nothing is pat; nothing is lost/ One brief moment and all will be as it was before/ How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!” give the reader the idea that things should stay the same even after the departed one is gone. The final line especially leaves the reader on a good tone as Holland says, :How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again” for this line gives the mourner an insight that they will, in fact, see their loved one again sometime. It gives them comfort that they will indeed see each other, and to not worry too much. Another poet who created comforting words for those who are mourning is Percy Bysshe Shelley. Percy Bysshe Shelley was born on August 4, 1792, in England. In his position as the oldest male child, Percy stood in line to not only to inherit his grandfather’s estate, but to also sit in parliament one day. Percy was beloved and admired by his sisters, his parents, and even his servants in his early reign as a young Lord of Field Place. On July 8, 1822, almost before he turned thirty, Shelley drowned in a storm while he was on a boat(Percy). “Music, When Soft Voices Die” is a death poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley that provides an easy transition for those who are mourning and is about a loved one’s death. This poem is describing the memory of feeling and love. The first line, “Music, when soft voices die/vibrates in the memory.” describes the way a departed one’s voice still “vibrates in our memories”, or is still remembered by those who are mourning as lossed loved one. This provides comfort because those who are mourning generally enjoy the thought that they can feel or sense the presence of their loved one. “Odours, when sweet violets sicken/line within a sense they quicken”(Poem). In the second stanza, Shelley states that we leave roses on the departed one’s bed, and we remember them after they have passed. More lines in the poem that portrays death as peaceful are “Rose leaves, when the rose is dead/are heaped for the beloved’s bed/and so thy thoughts, when thou art gone/Love itself shall slumber on”(Shelly). It translates into “love continues even after the loved one is departed.” These help prove the poem is comforting and encouraging. Like the petals of a rose or the memory of music, part of people will always live on past the day people die. Shelley almost creates the idea that the absence of the deceased sharpens love; the physical distance intensifies the love, but imagination brings them close.
"After Mexico gained it's independence from Spain in 1821, it faced internal power struggles that left it in a volatile state of rebellion and instability for years." In 1846, the Mexican government, under the dictator Santa Anna, went to war with the United States. As an outcome of that war, Mexico lost a large amount of land--the land we now know as Texas. In 1854, Juan Alvarez and his troops led a successful revolt to drive Santa Anna out of power. One of Alvarez's strongest supporters was a man by the name of Benito Juarez, a Zapotec Indian leader. In 1855, Juarez became the minister of Justice under the new regime and issued two new controversial laws. One denied the right of the church and military courts to try civilian cases and the other made the sale and distribution of church lands legal. Many people disagreed with these laws and for three years a civil war raged between the two sides. In 1861 Juarez took control of the capital, Mexico City, and put his new Constitution into effect. Not only had Juarez's laws split the country, they had caused the civil war that left Juarez in debt to Spain, England, and France. The three countries were concerned about the debt, so they held a meeting in London, at which Spain and Britain decided to waive the debt in exchange for military control of the Custom House in Vera Cruz. France did not agree to these terms and invaded Mexico in 1861 in hopes of defeating the country and disposing of Juarez. The French troops--deemed among the best trained and equipped in the world--marched into the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862, expecting no resistance. The French army consisted of 6,000 men under the command of Marshal Lorencz. The French were met by an armed force of 2,000 peasants under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza. The Mexican guerilla forces successfully defended their positions and attacked and drove back the French forces. Victory, however, was short lived. Within a year, France had successfully conquered Puebla and the rest of Mexico, and went on ruling there until 1867 when Juarez was once again restored to power. He ruled the country until his death in 1872. Cinco de Mayo, therefore, does not celebrate Mexico's independence, rather it symbolizes "the right of the people to self determination and national sovereignty, and the ability of non-Europeans to defend those rights against modern military organizations.
In digging the day of the dead a distinction between Dia de los Muertos and Halloween is made, the purpose, to highlight the differences and showing the importance and significance of Dia de los Muertos. This ethnography begins by loosely describing Halloween in American culture, it is described as a day where “children dress up as grotesque corpses” and a celebration empty of historic or cultural significance and knowledge. The author Juanita Garciagodoy, later goes on to describe Dia de los Muertos in a romanticized way, by statin that the dead “are not forgotten or excluded from recollections, prayer, or holidays because they are no longer visible” Garciagodoy then goes on to tell a heartfelt story about a couple one holding on to tradition,
Cinco de Mayo, also known as the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, is a national holiday in Mexico that commemorates the 1862 Mexican victory over the French forces of Napoleon III in Puebla, Mexico. This holiday, celebrated on the fifth of May, has deep roots in Mexican culture, but in American-Mexican culture as well. Cinco de Mayo serves as a proud reminder of an unlikely victory, as well as a day to express and cherish Mexican pride and heritage.
Foreigners have more trouble understanding Dia de Los Muertos than any of Mexico's other celebrations. At first glance, they see Day of the Dead decorations which are colored paper garlands, little skeletons performing daily tasks and sugar skulls inscribed with names, which remind them of Halloween. Other tourists discover that much like Memorial or Remembrance Day in the US, families here visit, clean and decorate graves of loved ones for the November 1 and 2 holidays. Many families honor their ancestors and dead with different traditions, which I will be telling u about.
El Dia de los Muertos was brought to the United States when Mexican-Americans underwent a cultural reawakening in the early 1970s. The holiday's popularity has since spread to other races and cultures. The Day of the Dead celebrates life past and present, and not just death alone. Revelers construct ofrendas, the offerings of food, drinks, cigarettes, toys, and candy, set out for returning souls. Revelers take joy in honoring the dead, usually with music, dancing, crafts and food.
...parts of the celebration, October 31st, November 1st, and finally November 2nd. On October 31st, it is seen that the kid’s souls return. November 1st is considered the adult’s day of returning, and November 2nd is when all souls have returned from the dead and there is a big celebration. People of Mexico celebrate by making many baked goods and cooking meals, making objects such as masks and decorating papers and toy coffins to prepare for the return of the souls.
In my opinion, I find this holiday really interesting. For one reason, this celebration dated way back to pre-Hispanic cultures of Mesoamerica, in the region of Nahu more than 3,000 years ago. It all started after the Spaniards and it lasted for almost 5 centuries later. In the Nahu region, there are the Aztecs, Mayans, Toltecas, Tlaxcaltecs, ChiChimecs, and Tecpanec. For the Aztecs they celebrate the death of each king or ruler. They also honor or dedicate Dia de Los Muertos to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. After centuries of long celebration and unchange trad...
The two poems, “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”, by Dylan Thomas and, “Because I Could Not Wait for Death”, by Emily Dickinson, we find two distinct treatments on the same theme, death. Although they both represent death, they also represent it as something other than death. Death brings about a variety of different feelings, because no two people feel the same way or believe the same thing. The fact that our faith is unknown makes the notion of death a common topic, as writers can make sense of their own feelings and emotions and in the process hope to make readers make sense of theirs too. Both Dickinson and Thomas are two well known and revered poets for their eloquent capture of these emotions. The poems both explore death and the
Who does not cower in fear upon the thought of death? Almost everybody does! However, people have differing views on the abstract idea of dying. In examining the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? by Emily Dickinson and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? by Dylan Thomas, it is evident that the poets use contrasting and comparative techniques in their unique presentations of the concept of death. In the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? Emily Dickinson presents the idea of acceptance of death, whereas in the poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? Dylan Thomas presents the idea of refusal and opposition to death. Despite the differences in theme, these two poets both use similar figurative language devices, such as metaphors, personification and alliteration as they explore their contrasting ideas pertaining to the concept of death. Through the use of their same literacy techniques, both of the authors have presented two very different perceptions on death: Dickinson's message is acceptance whereas Thomas?is rejection.
Coco a family based movie from Disney is one of the major examples of journey about family. In this film, we can appreciate the importance of family relationship. In the film, Miguel the main character wanted to become a famous musician like his idol named Ernesto de la Cruz. The film is based in Mexican traditions. One major tradition that the movie is based on is Dia de Los Muertos, which each family member celebrates their relative who have passed away into a spiritual life. This movie revolves around the topic about family. In this movie, family is the number one priority.
Death is a controversial and sensitive subject. When discussing death, several questions come to mind about what happens in our afterlife, such as: where do you go and what do you see? Emily Dickinson is a poet who explores her curiosity of death and the afterlife through her creative writing ability. She displays different views on death by writing two contrasting poems: one of a softer side and another of a more ridged and scary side. When looking at dissimilar observations of death it can be seen how private and special it is; it is also understood that death is inevitable so coping with it can be taken in different ways. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died” show both parallel and opposing views on death.
Los Angeles is home to a proud, vibrant Mexican-American community whose influence can be seen throughout Southern California. Fiesta de las Flores— Festival of Flowers — is celebrated during Labor Day weekend on the beautiful, historic Olvera Street Mexican Marketplace, which is dressed to create scenes of Los Angeles’ past. Fiesta de Las Flores is a family-oriented event and, for 57 years, it has
Latin America contains vast cultures that are all worth looking into. Mexico, in particular, has a culture of death. Though it sounds grim, Mexico finds light in death and celebrate it. Mexicans believe that death is only the start of something new. They celebrate it so much that a holiday had been created, Dia De Los Muertos, which translates to Day of the Dead.
Death is widely considered the final frontier that everyone will experience, and because of this everyone usually has their own personal beliefs on the subject. We can observe Emily Dickinson views on death through her poems “After great pain, a formal feeling comes-”, “Because I could not stop for death-”, and “I heard a Fly buzz- when I died-”. Dickinson connects the poems together with the overarching theme of death. Her poems are unique because show her personal struggle with religion while also expressing some universally mundane ideologies about death. Dickinson conveys the connecting theme of death by utilizing different forms of figurative language such as, alliteration, religious allegories, and specific diction.
...cing and partying at their graveyards? That’s Mexican celebrate the Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On the first two days in November, they stop everything for the most distinctive festival that mixes Aztec and Catholic traditions into a special time for families to come together to honor their deceased ones. November 2nd is the official national holiday for the Day of the Dead. An Aztec mid- August banquet with the ancestors was appropriated by Catholic priest to coincide with their All Saints Day to encourage the conversion of the Indians to the Catholic faith.