Author background Nathaniel Hawthorne was taught the ways of the puritans at an early age. His father was a sea captain but passed away from yellow fever while at sea. This could have been one cause for his dark thoughts that he portrayed in his writing Nathaniel faced a severe leg injury at an early which left him immobile and confined to his house for several years. During those years he found an interest for writing and reading. This would contribute to his passionate dark writing pieces that he would produce. Go to the Grave Poem Go to the grave where friends are laid, And learn how quickly mortals fade, Learn how the fairest flower must droop, Learn how the strongest form must stoop, Learn that we are but dust and clay, The short-liv'd creatures of a day. Yet do not sigh -- there is a clime, Where they will dwell through endless time, Who here on earth their Maker serve, And never from his precepts swerve. The grave to them is but a road, That leads them to that blest abode.
Analysis of text This poem represents death and how even the most beautiful and mortal pass. The first line states Go to the grave where friends are laid this means that we all be with our friends in one place in the end, and that we should go to the grave and see the people who have left the mortal world. The second line says And learn how quickly mortals fadethis means that we all go to the grave in the end and mortals have to leave their life in the mortal world at some point. The next line says that Learn how the fairest flower must droop,this means that even though some humans might think they are the greatest and fairest and believe that they will never have to worry about death have to realize that they themselves will fall to death as well. The next line says Learn how the strongest form must stoop,even the strongest of humans will begin to droop like a dying flower. Learn that we are but dust and clay,we should realize that god brought us on this earth as dust and clay, and that when it's time for us to leave will return to that state just as we arrived. The short-liv'd creatures of a day. We only live for so long as humans when we are living as humans. Yet do not sigh-- there is a clime,but don't worry there is a place for us to go when it's time. Where they will dwell through endless time, where we will remain for the rest of time. Who here on earth their Maker serve,while on earth we serve good as the living. And never from his precepts swerve, we should not deviate from our which we serve we should remain on the path which is given to us. The grave to them is but a road, the grave is just the road taken to get to the the place which we our souls will remain. That leads them to that blest abode. the grave leads them to a residence which they will recide whether it's heaven or hell. I think this text in a ways represents the death that Nathaniel Hawthorne faced at a younger age. How he developed his style is also represented in this to when we becomes a writer of things that are dark it is portrayed in this piece.
Summary The summary of this poem is that everyone dies in the end and that we have to take the road to the grave so we can rest for endless time and be with our friend s and family. We came into the world one way and now we leave in another.