The Jewish Cemetery at Newport

Apart from their literal meaning, the graves present complex and prominent symbolism in the poem. They represent death and all its accompanying finality, but also, peace. Buried with the consecrating promise of eternal life and rest, the grave dwellers are watched over by nature. The trees of the cemetery are described as providing shade and “a hand unseen, / Scattering its bounty, like a summer rain” (Lines 26-27) keeps the graves green and fresh. The conjunction of pleasant imagery of leafy trees and summer rain with the graves shows that death is not an object of fear, but a reality and even a reprieve. The descriptor “green” (Line 28) indicates that the dead live on in memory and in nature. Yet, the poet also describes the graves as “silent” (Line 3) or having “silence” (Line 22). The fate of the Jewish nation at large, which he conflates with the graves, is described with pessimism at the end of the poem. The ambiguous symbolism indicates that death likely remains a mystery for the poet, as well. Like most human beings, he grapples to make peace with its unalterable reality.