Summary

In "The Book of the Dead", Part 1, Rukeyser not only presents poetry to readers but she also intertwines together multiple forms of writing. She blends descriptive environmental writing, poetry, history, statistics and firsthand accounts that include interviews and testimonials from tunnel workers and the people connected to them. Culler argued that literature can serve as both a form of expression, as well as a "special kind of discourse." In this excerpt, Rukeyser exemplifies that idea by using poetry soaked with vivid and descriptive words that makes it pretty much impossible not to visualize the setting. She deepens the emotional impact by including interviews with individuals connected to the tunnel workers, as well as firsthand experiences from the workers themselves. This approach inspires readers to engage with the writing on a deeper level that moves beyond words so that they can comprehend the reality behind them. By combining personal stories with facts and statistics, Rukeyser not only tells us what happened, she makes us as readers feel it and shapes our way of thinking. Her writing tears at the reader's heartstrings, bringing the tragedy to life in a way that is impossible to ignore. She gives us a real sense of this tragedy and forces us to see it through the eyes of the people who lived it.