Abstract

D.H. Lawrence enhances his ardent desire towards life with his idea of life
after death which has evolved from the Greek mythology, biblical references. Lawrence‟s
Last Poems explores his depression wrought by his debilitating tuberculosis and is an
attempt to overcome his grief. He creates his own imaginary world in order to overcome his
sadness. The imaginary world can only be expressed through figurative language,
metaphors, similes, images, symbols, allegory, and myths, repetition of words, phrases and
sounds. The poet yearns for a new life after death which provides him a peaceful life.
Through figurative language such as metaphor and simile, Lawrence enriches his hope of
renewal of life. Lawrence deals with the metaphors and similes in order to express his
intense mind and is expressed in the Last Poems. Julia Kristeva in her book Black Sun
enunciates that depressed person cannot communicate through ordinary language. In
order to communicate they find new means to overcome their depression. Kristeva calls this
new poetic language as “depressive discourse” (55). Poetry is depressive discourse, once a
person writes his/her sadness; he/she can experience repeal from the depression.
Lawrence‟s poems associate with emotions which flow unleashed as William Wordsworth
says in his “Preface to Lyrical Ballads”: “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings; it takes its origin from emotions recollected in tranquility” (13). Lawrence
attempts to visualize his vision of life after death in order to get rid of his depression
throughout his Last Poems. He has tried to change his feelings into images-„word
pictures‟ and his poems remind us of Coleridge‟s „Imagination‟, that is, “Mental pictures
or images received from the sense” ( Abrams 87).