Graveyard Blues

From the start of “Graveyard Blues” Trethewey uses the weather to symbolize the feelings of the speaker and to create the mood and tone of the poem. “It rained the whole time we were laying her down” (Line 1) the poem begins, followed by the repeated “Rained from church to grave” (Line 2). By opening with rain, Trethewey immediately sets a dark, damp, cold, and depressed scene. By repeating and reiterating that the rain lasted “from the church to grave” (Line 2), it feels as though the rain was everywhere, overwhelming the poem. This sets a melancholic mood and tone. In Line 3, “The suck of mud” (Line 3) creates “a hollow sound” (Line 3), deepening the imagery of the outside world being wet and miserable, which is reflected in the speaker’s self.

In line 7 the weather remains symbolic, as the speaker notes “The sun came out when I turned to walk away” (Line 7). The line is clarified by the following line, repeating “Glared down on me as I turned and walked away” (Line 8). Because the sun “Glared down” (Line 8) on the speaker, the sun coming out is not a positive moment in the poem.