The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Collins, Billy. “The Dead.” The Dewdrop, thedewdrop.org/2021/06/02/billy-collins-the-dead/.

Note that all parenthetical citations within the guide refer to the lines of the poem from which the quotations are taken.

“The Dead” is one of several poems by this poet that examines the nature of the afterlife, and one of an incalculable canon of poetry that has explored the question of what lies beyond the passage of death. This poem takes a lighthearted yet thought-provoking approach to juxtaposing the mundane routines of everyday life against the watchfulness of those passed. It can be read as an exploration of spirituality or as a road to healing after a period of grief.