Poetry allows our hearts to hover in that mysterious realm between life and death, offering glimpses of the soul, writes Ali Hammoud. As a Shi'i Muslim, grief has always been a companion, expressed through annual mourning rituals. But when his grandmother passed away, he turned to Lord Tennyson's 'In Memoriam A. H. H.' for solace.
Tennyson's words initially raised doubts about poetry's effectiveness in dealing with grief, prompting reflection. Hammoud argues that all poetry is elegiac, attempting to preserve what death will consume. While words may fall short, they both conceal and reveal the soul, creating a tension that allows hope and despair to coexist.
Poetry transforms mourning from an individual to a communal experience, sharing sorrow and making grief easier to bear. Tennyson's poem itself has comforted millions, proving that a lone voice can become a symphony of shared sorrow. Words are magic, enabling emotions to travel from one heart to another.
Ultimately, poetry helps preserve and transform what we have lost, allowing loss to sing and become beautiful and sublime. It reignites the desire to transcend ourselves, even if we only half comprehend the process.
