Death Speaks

The Relationship Between Sound, Silence, and Death in Louise Glück’s “Aboriginal Landscape” and “Visitors from Abroad”

Abstract

Death and silence are often connected themes in literature, with silence being used as a metaphor or herald for death. Although Louise Glück’s poetry also contains such associations, silence is given a different role in “Aboriginal Landscape” and “Visitors from Abroad.” Glück gives death a voice in these two poems, which she then enhances with different types of silence, thus giving it the illusion of aural volume and otherworldliness. The paper first aims to clarify what is meant by a “voice of death” in the context of the poems, then proceeds to demonstrate three types of silences: the silence of white space, implicit silence, and explicit silence. Finally, it is concluded that Glück’s use of silence not only gives the “voice of death” the illusion of aural volume and otherworldliness but also gives the two poems an additional dimension of interpretation.