Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Dead

from The German Of Stockmann

The Dead - meaning Summary

Resting Beyond Complaint

The poem contemplates the peaceful rest of the dead, portraying them as holy, free from weeping and feeling, and removed from worldly complaint and joy. The speaker’s soul feels drawn toward their tranquil dwelling, where corruption and sorrow give way to gentle sleep beneath cypresses. The dead are depicted as awaiting a final summons by an angel, suggesting calm expectation rather than terror or loss.

Read Complete Analyses

How they so softly rest, All they the holy ones, Unto whose dwelling-place Now doth my soul draw near! How they so softly rest, All in their silent graves, Deep to corruption Slowly don-sinking! And they no longer weep, Here, where complaint is still! And they no longer feel, Here, where all gladness flies! And, by the cypresses Softly o'ershadowed Until the Angel Calls them, they slumber!

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