Death Quote by Robert Lowell
““Grass Fires" No ease for the boy at his keyhole, his telescope, when the women's white bodies flashed in the bathroom. Young, my eyes began to fail. In the grandiloquent lettering on Mother's coffin Lowell had been misspelled LOVEL The corpse was wrapped like panetone in Italian tinfoil Father's death was abrupt and unprotesting. His vision was still twenty-twenty. After a morning of anxious, repetitive smiling, his last words to Mother were: "I feel awful." He smiled his oval Lowell smile… It has taken me the time since you died to discover you are as human as I am... If I am.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Grass Fires (fictional excerpt), unknown publication
A fragmented, surreal narrative reflects grief, memory, and the disorienting mix of personal loss and mundane details.
In simple terms: Grief blurs reality and memory.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge pain, seek clarity.
Themes
grief
memory
identity
disorientation
Mood
somber
introspective
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- mourning
- reflective writing
- psychological analysis
Key Concepts
surrealism
fragmentation
family loss
Questions to Reflect On
- How does surreal imagery affect your perception of grief?
- What does the repeated motif of vision symbolize?
![“[On her father's death:] I didn't know his leaving would hurt so much.” quote by Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/221/erma-bombeck-780_death_on-her-father-s-death-i-didn-t-know-his_1914411.jpg)
