The narrator of the story, identified through these lines as a deceased person, directly addresses those left alive. Analyzing it from the historical perspective, the plea is fitting, as the act of weeping at her mother’s grave was impossible for Frye's friend. The first line also serves as the title of the poem. The poem was written in 1932 and has since been circulated throughout the world. It happens rarely that a poet’s work is so widely known, yet only one poem has actually ever been published. Frye stated that her friend’s pain caused her to write down the poem, whose words spontaneously came to her. According to a recount of the author, the poem was written for a Jewish woman who had to flee Germany and could therefore not grieve over her mother’s death at her grave. While one can simply analyze the poem by its text, the origin story allows for a deeper and more meaningful analysis. Before the poem was widely used for funeral rites around the world, but never attributed to the woman, who never published another poem. Mary Elizabeth Frye only was revealed to be the author of this very famous poem by 1998. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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