British poet Carol Ann Duffy published "Mrs. Lazarus" in The World's Wife, her 1999 collection of poems focused on the female counterparts to male figures from history and myth. This poem's speaker is the wife of Lazarus, whom Jesus famously raised from the dead in the Bible. Lazarus's resurrection is typically praised as one of Jesus's greatest miracles, but the Mrs. Lazarus of Duffy's poem has a different perspective. Having deeply mourned the loss of her husband, Mrs. Lazarus has finally begun to heal—and to allow herself a chance at new love—when Lazarus unexpectedly returns to a world where he no longer belongs. The poem explores the difficult nature of grief while questioning the concepts of faithfulness and betrayal. It also prompts readers to reconsider how traditional expectations around women's bereavement make it difficult for them to move on with their lives.
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I had grieved. ...
... again, dead, dead.
Gone home. Gutted ...
... my bare neck,
gaunt nun in ...
... a snapshot, going,
going. Till his ...
... of my ring.
Then he was ...
... he was memory.
So I could ...
... towards me, shouting,
behind them the ...
... parting before me.
He lived. I ...
... grave's slack chew,
croaking his cuckold ... of his time.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Duffy Discusses the Genesis of The World's Wife — An interview with Duffy for the Lincoln Review in which she talks about how she started writing poems for this collection.
An Introduction to Lazarus of Bethany — Learn more about the story that inspired Duffy's poem.
An Overview of the Dramatic Monologue — A video explaining the history of the dramatic monologue, a form Duffy uses in many of her poems (including this one!).
A Review of The World's Wife — A Guardian review written of Duffy's fifth collection of poetry, in which "Mrs. Lazarus" was published, by the writer Jeaneatte Winterson.
The Poet's Life and Work — Learn more about Duffy in this biography from the Poetry Foundation.