Eden Rock is a poem written in the 20th century by English poet Charles Causley. The poem is from his anthology collection A Field of Vision (1988).
The poem is a subtle reminder of death and the reunion of family members. In the poem, the Speaker looks across the river to see his dead parents having a picnic in a place simply known as “Eden Rock.” The fact that they are in “Eden” is telling of the fact that they have died and gone to heaven, although this is never explicitly detailed in the poem. The scene could also be reflective of the Speaker’s childhood memories and the happier times experienced when their parents were alive.
The Speaker clearly has a lot of love for their parents, as they go into great detail and convey adoration towards their parents. When the mother beckons the Speaker to come over to their side by following the river path, it is evident that the Speaker himself or herself is close to death and will be joining them in heaven soon. In this way, death has brought the Speaker a happier ending than they had in life.
