"Do not stand at my grave and weep" is a poem by American Mary Elizabeth Frye , at one time voted the most popular poem in the English language.
Do not stand at my grave and weep[]
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye (read by A Poetry Channel)
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
Background[]
Frye was a Baltimore, Maryland, housewife who lacked a formal education and had quite possibly never written poetry before.[1] She was born in Dayton, Ohio, and was orphaned at the age of 3. She moved to Baltimore when she was 12. She was an avid reader with a remarkable memory. She married Claud Frye, who ran a clothing business, while she grew and sold flowers.
The poem for which she became famous was originally composed on a brown paper shopping bag, and was reportedly inspired by the story of a young Jewish girl, Margaret Schwarzkopf, who had been staying with the Frye household and had been unable to visit her dying mother in Germany because of anti-Semitic unrest.[2] Because people liked her 12-line, untitled verse, Frye made many copies and circulated them privately. She never published the poem.[3]
The identity of the author of the poem was unknown until the late 1990s, when Frye revealed that she had written it.[3] Frye's authorship was confirmed in 1998 after investigative research by Abigail Van Buren, the newspaper columnist better known as "Dear Abby."[1]
Frye never copyrighted the poem because she believed that it "belonged to the world."[1]
Recognition[]
"Do not stand at my grave and weep" was voted Britain's most popular poem in a 1996 poll.[1]
The poem was used in a Norwegian protocol to express condolences after the 2011 Norway attacks.(Citation needed)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Michael R. Burch, Mary Elizabeth Frye: Poetry analysis and bio, The Hypertexts. Web, Feb. 15, 2020.
- ↑ Frye, Mary Elizabeth Clark Frye, Find a Grave, August 13, 2009. Web, Feb. 15, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Times Online obituary
This poem is in the public domain