Thomas Lynch

Thomas Lynch is an undertaker in Milford, Michigan, and the author of several books of poetry, including Grimalkin and Other Poems. In the following viewpoint, Lynch contends that funerals have always served the purpose of helping the living to confront their own mortality. By forcing survivors to face the prospect of death, he argues, such rituals of paying respect to the deceased can increase respect for life.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In Lynch’s opinion, what do the bodies of the newly dead represent"
2. According to the author, when did the practice of embalming become prevalent"
3. In the author’s view, what are the consequences of considering death to be inconvenient"

The undertakers are over on the other island. They are there for what is called their Midwinter Conference...