Graveyard Blues

“Housekeeping” by Natasha Trethewey (2000)

Published in Trethewey’s first collection, Domestic Work (2000), “Housekeeping” depicts the relationship between mother and child as they struggle without much money, preserving and saving items in their daily life. This poem provides contrast to “Graveyard Blues,” both structurally and thematically, and depicts the challenges and joys of maintaining a household on little income.

“Imperatives for Carrying On in the Aftermath” by Natasha Trethewey (2018)

Published many years following her mother’s death, “Imperatives for Carrying On in the Aftermath” provides a point of comparison to “Graveyard Blues” as both deal with her mother’s death, coping, and the aftermath of such a harrowing incident. This poem, while far less restrained than “Graveyard Blues,” depicts how such a traumatic event continues to challenge and shape Trethewey as a poet and a human.

“No More Cake Here” by Natalie Diaz (2012)

Natalie Diaz, a contemporary voice to Natasha Trethewey, wrote “No More Cake Here” following the death of her brother to meth addiction. Both poets and poems grapple with the unexpected loss of a close loved one. Also working in the form of elegy, “No More Cake Here” is a contrast to “Graveyard Blues” in structure and tone, and it is an example of how another contemporary poet handles loss in poetic form.