Raised fists and a fading smile usually follow the confrontation of death as we experience the first stages of denial in the grieving process. We not only grieve at the loss of a loved one, but at the loss of our own life as well. When death rears its ugly head, it demands this response. Whether through art or science, humor or ritual, mankind marks and confronts this passage with both defiance and trepidation that …showed first 75 words of 1098 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1098 total…A true sign of the times each author lived in. Work Cited Dickinson, Emily. "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1138. Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1730. Frost, Robert. "Out, Out -." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1774