Did Stevenson really get buried the way the poem describes?

Yes. When Stevenson passed away in Samoa in 1894, he was laid to rest on the summit of Mount Vaea, which overlooks the sea. The lines from "Requiem" were engraved on his tomb, just as he had requested. It's one of the more remarkable instances in literary history where a poet's wishes were fulfilled precisely.

What does 'Glad did I live and gladly die' mean?

The speaker expresses that he lived his life with true happiness and approaches death with the same openness. He feels no regret and shows no resistance. Considering that Stevenson was chronically ill for most of his life, this line holds significant weight — it feels like a statement earned through struggle, rather than a casual remark.

What does 'grave' mean in 'This be the verse you grave for me'?

Here, "grave" functions as a verb, referring to an older meaning of carving or engraving. This means: "Let this be the inscription you carve for me." The cleverness lies in the double meaning — the noun "grave" (burial place) and the verb "grave" (to carve) — which is likely intentional, showcasing a clever wordplay in this brief poem.

Who are the sailor and the hunter, and why does Stevenson use them?

They're not specific individuals — they're representations of lives lived outdoors, constantly moving, and engaging in tough, solitary work away from home. The sailor charts the ocean; the hunter explores the hills. Both figures make their return home feel deserved and instinctive. By likening death to their homecoming, Stevenson reinterprets it as a sense of completion instead of a loss.

What is the poem's rhyme scheme and meter?

The first stanza features an AAAB rhyme scheme, while the second follows a BBBA pattern, connecting them through the B rhyme ("will" / "hill"). The meter is mostly anapestic, creating lines that flow into a stress in a smooth, song-like manner. This musicality lends the poem an oral quality, making it well-suited for its role as an epitaph.

Most readers don’t feel the sadness typical of a grief poem. Instead, the emotion leans more towards a quiet satisfaction. Stevenson isn’t mourning his death — he’s accepting it, even welcoming it. If anything, the poem might evoke a sense of wistfulness rather than sorrow, as the speaker's peace is both profound and clearly intentional.

Why is this poem still so well known?

A few reasons. The language is straightforward—almost every word is clear. The last two lines are truly beautiful and linger in the mind. Plus, the biographical context (a sick man crafting his own epitaph, which was ultimately used) adds a depth that fictional poems about death often lack.

The Annotated Edition

Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →

Stevenson's "Requiem" is a brief, two-stanza poem where the speaker expresses a wish to be buried beneath the open sky and specifies what he wants inscribed on his gravestone.

Poet: Robert Louis Stevenson
Core theme: Death

The PoemFull text

Requiem

Robert Louis Stevenson

Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor; home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill.

Study actions

Study sheet (PDF)

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Stevenson's "Requiem" is a brief, two-stanza poem where the speaker expresses a wish to be buried beneath the open sky and specifies what he wants inscribed on his gravestone. He reflects on a life of happiness, a willing death, and a sense of returning home—much like a sailor returning from the sea or a hunter coming back from the hills. This poem portrays death not as a tragedy but as a serene homecoming.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

Under the wide and starry sky, / Dig the grave and let me lie.
Editor's note
The speaker begins with a straightforward, serene request: bury me outside, beneath the stars. There’s no trace of fear or desperation in their voice — only a firm command. The "wide and starry sky" creates an expansive and timeless backdrop, transforming the grave into a natural resting place instead of something ominous or scary. The speaker seems to have found acceptance with what lies ahead.
This be the verse you grave for me: / Here he lies where he longed to be;
Editor's note
The second stanza takes on an epitaph tone, with the speaker actually writing his own tombstone inscription. Here, "grave" functions as a verb, meaning to carve or engrave. The term "longed" stands out: this reflects not just acceptance of death but a homecoming the speaker has eagerly anticipated. The last two lines — the sailor returning from the sea, the hunter coming back from the hill — are some of the most celebrated closing lines in English poetry. Both figures represent individuals who spend their lives away from home, earning and deserving their return. Stevenson suggests that death is akin to this kind of arrival.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is calm, dignified, and quietly joyful. There's no grief, no dread, and no anger about dying — Stevenson writes with a sense of peace. The rhythm flows steadily and song-like, almost like a lullaby, enhancing the feeling of settling down to rest. It's one of the few poems about death that feels genuinely serene instead of forced or sentimental.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The wide and starry sky: The sky symbolizes infinity and eternity. Wanting to be buried beneath it connects the speaker to something much greater than an individual life, implying that death is not a conclusion but a return to the natural cycle of existence.
The sailor home from sea: The sailor is a person who has devoted their life to navigating both peril and vast distances. Returning home from the sea signifies the end of hard work and the beginning of well-deserved rest. As a symbol of death, it transforms the idea of dying into a safe arrival instead of a loss.
The hunter home from the hill: Like the sailor, the hunter has spent time in the world, tackling tough and solitary tasks. The hill represents hard work and vulnerability. Returning home signifies that the job is done — the day's labor is complete, and rest feels both natural and well-deserved.
The grave: Instead of representing horror or punishment, the grave here is viewed as a bed — a resting place the speaker willingly chooses and even yearns for. Stevenson removes the dread associated with the grave, portraying it simply as the spot where a weary person settles down.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote "Requiem" in 1879, but its true significance emerged later. He struggled with a serious respiratory illness throughout much of his adult life, likely tuberculosis, and traveled extensively — to France, America, and eventually the South Pacific — searching for a climate that might help him survive. He passed away in Samoa in 1894 at the young age of 44. Stevenson's wish expressed in the poem was fulfilled: he was laid to rest on the summit of Mount Vaea in Samoa, with the epitaph from "Requiem" engraved on his tombstone. This personal detail transforms the poem from a mere literary work into something deeply personal — a reflection of a man aware he was living on borrowed time, crafting his own farewell with clarity and without self-pity.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

A requiem is a mass or musical piece created for the dead, often played at funerals. By naming the poem this way, Stevenson immediately indicates that it will explore death — particularly his own. The term originates from the Latin word for "rest," which aligns well with the poem's main theme of viewing death as a tranquil resting place.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Stevenson, Robert Louis. "Requiem." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/requiem-robert-louis-stevenson/.

APA

Stevenson, R. L. (n.d.). Requiem. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/requiem-robert-louis-stevenson/

Adjacent texts in the archive

More by Robert Louis Stevenson

Browse all Robert Louis Stevenson poems →

Themes in this poem

Poems about Death Poems about Home Poems about Mortality Poems about Nature

Compared with

Compare this poem with any other →

Poetry tools

Analyze another poem →Rate your own poem →Check rhyme & meter →

Best Poems About Love

Story Rater

Guides for the books you're assigned

Simple, flat pricing