Why Art often Symbolizes Death

Death is a topic that unites all of humanity. While it can be uncomfortable to think about, confronting death in unavoidable. “Dying” addresses that discomfort and universal unwillingness to consider the inevitability of death. Pinsky’s use of imagery, symbolism, and tone create a poetic experience that is like death, something every reader can relate to. In “Dying,” Pinsky describes how people are oblivious and almost uncaring when it comes to the thought of death. Pinsky is trying to convince the reader that they shouldn’t ignore the concept of death because life is shorter than it seems.

The theme death has always played a crucial role in literature. Death surrounds us and our everyday life, something that we must adapt and accept. Whether its on television or newpaper, you'll probobly hear about the death of an individual or even a group. Most people have their own ideas and attitude towards it, but many consider this to be a tragic event due to many reasons. For those who suffered greatly from despair, living their life miserably and hopelessly, it could actually be a relief to them. Death effects not only you, but also those around you, while some people may stay unaffected depending on how they perceive it.

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

Death is an inevitable event that will occur in a life. When, how, and where are the beginnings of questions posed about the topic, and the fear of not knowing this leads it to be a taboo subject in many discussions. Edgar Allan Poe defied this sense of taboo and wrote many works centering on the topic of death. It is Edgar Allan Poe’s discussion of death in his works that reveals the innate human perversion of the discussion of death. The reason for his discussion of death may find roots in his personal life.

This began a gruesome time period that was reflected into the art and culture of Europe. During this time period, the tragic moments were captured through art. For example, many artists painted death, as it was feared by many. This changed culture of art in Europe. As stated by Sardis Cabral, “The fear of hell became horribly real and the promise of heaven seemed remote.” The art illustrated these events and feelings of European people during this

The personification of death through the many

Death is a theme that is used all too often in literature. Usually when people encounter death, they come to expect certain feelings. Whether someone they know has passed away, or they are just reading a play in which someone dies; death is often associated with feelings of anger, depression, and denial. In a play titled Wit, Margaret Edson depicts stages of dying through a woman who is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In his holy sonnet “Death, Be Not Proud”, John Donne challenges death in a way that illustrates his belief that there is an afterlife.

Death. The topic no one likes to discuss despite it being an inevitable part of life since humans came into existence. Simply thinking about the phrase, “I am going to die,” causes most people to become extremely uncomfortable, evoking unwanted emotions such as dread and fear. Humans will do anything to distract themselves from this depressing reality. Whether it’s using drugs or going out with friends, people frequently engage in activities that push darker thoughts to the back of their minds to be dealt with at a later time. Hanging in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), the painting Leyster, The Last Drop (Fig. 1) captures the complexities of coming to terms with one’s own mortality. Judith Leyster’s use of lighting, color, and symbols in the piece come together to express the struggle people go through to give their lives meaning in the context of eternity, making observers confront the temporal limits of their humanity right on the spot.

In Diana’s collage “Life Surrenders to Death” the images are taken of life’s nature and death each image signifies a part of death the mountains, the waterfall, the cliffs, and the graveyard we are all surrounded by it. Everywhere we look, and people die every day. But we survived. We are the lucky ones who are still breathing the air, who can

Death: The Inescapable Death, something no one can escape, is one thing everyone has to look forward to in life. It does not matter who one is or what someone does in order to try and stop the one guaranteed thing in your life, it will happen. Death does not have any sympathy for who you are or what you are going through, if it is your time, then there’s no way for you to try and control your fate. A very well known author/poet, Edgar Allen Poe, often looked death in its face in his stories. In his short story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” Edgar Allen Poe uses multiple symbols to convey his hidden message which is that no one is able to escape death.

Since its earliest days, mankind has unceasingly pondered mortality and the frailty of human life. Death has often been regarded as a mysterious and inevitable force of nature. As such, the idea of death is a recurring theme throughout the periods of historical art.

Death leaves a heartache that no one can fix. It has been like this pretty much since the beginning of time. There are obviously different types of dying, like suicide or murder for example, and also different deaths in general. Death of a friend, family member or a king or soldier as well. There are some similarities dealing with death in today’s world and earlier times.

In the poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, by Emily Dickinson and “Home Burial”, by Robert Frost, literary elements are used throughout both poems to get the message the authors are trying to portray. One main important literary element that is used to entice the reader, is symbolism, because it helps the authors describe something without actual describing it. Symbolism is also used because it shows how significant an object is. Characterization is also an important literary technique because it, gives the reader an idea on how the character would act, work, and their values in life. Death is a topic that is used in both poems. Also, every character express their opinion about death differently.

Man has always had a preoccupation with what comes After. The Greeks made an entire discipline out of the contemplation of death. Christian thought is obsessed with it: “Remember Man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” Western art is full of the imagery of the Grim Reaper, skulls and bones and sand flying through an hourglass, scythes for peasants and swords for kings. One of the most popular fantasy characters of modern times is an anthropomorphic personification of Death, celebrated for his kindness and empathy. People painstakingly lay mosaics of skeletons in cathedral floors, sculpt and paint countless images of Death and the Maiden, and decorate tombstones with his image. Most

There is a strong presence of the theme of death in the Iranian daily life, which is reflected in art. My dissertation will explore the visual representation of death in the art of the Tehran-based artist Barbad Golshiri (b.1982) as well as in other works, created by non-governmental-commissioned contemporary Iranian artists.