Epitaph for an Old Woman Life, Consciousness, and Existence Quotes

The title of this poem tells us that the poem is an epitaph, or a text written in memory of a person. The very nature of the poem as an epitaph means that it is part of the tradition of thinking about life, consciousness, and existence in the face of death. This poem is proof that language is not defeated in the face of death, but rises up to meet and interpret it upon every death we talk or write about.

This quote takes us through one of the inevitable parts of living in modern society: funerals and tombs. Though cremating is rising in prominence, the tradition of burying loved ones, sometimes in family tombs, is significant in human history. It's our way to take time to think about not only a person's death but also their life and the meaning of existence in general.

These lines reflect on the idea that from dust we came and from dust we will return. All we are may be just a brief interval between being dust. Yet this dust is not very dead. It senses the return of its wife and trembles. Perhaps, it shows that love and companionship endure, making that brief interval between being dust very much worth it.