In the poem “The Five Stages of Grief,” Pastan breaks down the notion of grief into five stages that one must go through to overcome the issue. The author begins by stating that people told her pain was an easy thing to live through. However, the following paragraphs illustrate the difficulties that she had with each of the stages.
In the piece “Talking to Grief,” Levertov presents grief as something the author strives to accept. In the poem, she compares grief to a dog that has been living under the porch acknowledging that one lives with his or her feelings. Thus, the metaphor presents an understanding that Levertov suggests to invite the dog inside, therefore accept one’s grief as such that exists.
Both poems illustrate the same notion, however, in a different manner. The two authors provide an idea that acceptance is the crucial aspect of grief. However, Pastan states that after the final stage, more grief can be present in one’s life. Levertov concluded the piece with acceptance as the final portion of grief without extending the plot on the further life. Thus, Pastan’s work is more detail-oriented as the author explains each of the stages.
Also, the author provides examples from her personal life to illustrate each. The approach creates a connection with a reader who may be going through similar emotions. Levertov focuses on one primary metaphor throughout the poem, therefore providing a reader with an easy-to-understand explanation of the notion. Both works communicate the idea that grief is something one must accept to be able to move on in life.