"Beach Burial" is a poem written by Kenneth Slessor, an Australian poet known for his lyrical and evocative writing style. The poem is a meditation on the theme of death, and explores the idea of the sea as a place of burial and memorial.
The poem begins with a description of the beach, which is depicted as a place of both beauty and terror. Slessor writes of the "white and empty" sand, and the "great gong" of the waves crashing against the shore. This sense of the sea as a vast, indifferent force sets the stage for the rest of the poem, which is focused on the bodies of soldiers who have been buried in the sand.
The soldiers, who are described as being "sea-washed," are depicted as being at peace, despite the fact that they have met a violent and untimely end. Slessor writes of the "peaceful sleep" of the soldiers, and the way that their bodies are "folded like flowers" in the sand. This imagery suggests that, in death, the soldiers have been returned to the earth and the natural world, and that their deaths have been transformed into something beautiful and peaceful.
The poem also explores the idea of the sea as a place of memorial, where the soldiers are remembered and honored. Slessor writes of the "crosses, rough-hewn and new" that mark the graves of the soldiers, and the way that the sea "washes" them clean. This imagery suggests that the sea serves as a constant reminder of the soldiers and their sacrifice, and that their deaths will not be forgotten.
Overall, "Beach Burial" is a poignant and moving meditation on the theme of death, and the way that it can be transformed into something beautiful and peaceful. Through his powerful imagery and evocative language, Slessor captures the sense of loss and grief that is inherent in the experience of death, but also the way that it can be transformed into something that is ultimately uplifting and inspiring.