Elegy For My Father, Who Is Not Dead: Extended Metaphor

This poem represented two conflicting and relavent beliefs that many people have about an afterlife. The arguement in this poem was whether or not people believe in life after death or a heaven. This theme was communicated through an extended metaphor in the poem. The speaker metaphorically compared death and what comes after to a journey on a ship. The father in the poem embraced the idea of a heaven and was described as having a "sureness of faith." In contrast, his son did not think the same way. The son clearly disagreed stating "I do not think he's right." The metaphor of the son watching his father sail away convinced the ship is going down and the father convinced he'll be waiting for his son on the other side represents the divide in human belief and faith found in our modern world. One thing I didn't understand, however, was the author's own opinion on the matter. I couldn't decide whether or not he believed in heaven or if he was even trying to communicate his own beliefs through the poem.