16 pages • 32 minutes read
The Dead
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson (1890)
Emily Dickinson’s poem uses personification to present death not as a state of being but as a sapient force who is an amiable and gentlemanly companion. Like Mitchell’s “The Dead,” Dickinson’s work raises larger questions about the relationship the dead have with the living.
- “Because I could not stop for Death” on SuperSummary
“Two Thoughts of Death” by Countee Cullen (1926)
Countee Cullen’s dual poem takes an alternate perspective from the living speaker looking toward the inevitability of death; though, like Mitchell’s poem, it hints at the experiences of those who will be left behind.
“Dear Lovely Death” by Langston Hughes (1931)
Renowned poet Langston Hughes examines death as a process of change from one state of being to another.
“The Bear” by Susan Mitchell (1983)
This poem and “The Dead” appear in the same collection, The Water Inside The Water. Both poems explore an othered perspective, following the passage of time.
“The Dead” by Billy Collins (2002)
This poem by American poet laureate Billy Collins shares a title and core theme with Susan Mitchell’s “The Dead.” Each explores those who have died through the first-person narration of the living. Both poems also feature a river as a mythological motif, offering two facets of a universal idea.
Further Literary Resources
“The Poet, Much Better for Verse” by David Streitfeld (1993)
Using Susan Mitchell’s rising career as a jumping-off point, this article from The Washington Post looks at new trends within the poetry community amid increasing financial and international renown.
“Love Is This: A Poetry of Bliss, a Prize Inspired: Verse: Widow Sells Hollywood Home to Fund $50,000 Award, Keeping Vow She and Husband Made to Selves” by Amy Wallace (1993)
This article from The Los Angeles Times examines the unusual origins of one of the world’s most lucrative literary prizes, of which Susan Mitchell was the first recipient.
“On Complexity” by Susan Mitchell (2000)
Susan Mitchell shares her perspective on multi-layered poetry and literature, and the way poetic form creates a connection with the reader.
“The Poetry of Death” by Donald Hall (2017)
This article from The New Yorker examines the relationship between death and poetry, and the place death has in the literary canon.
Listen to Poem
A recitation and dramatization of the poem by the Communications Academy of Archie Williams High School.
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