Coincidence. Sorry for what seems like plagiarism

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Originally titled “Immortality,” the poem was written by Clare Harner Lyon (1909-1977) and first published over her maiden name Clare Harner in the December 1934 issue of The Gypsy poetry magazine. 

Sorry... I didn't mean to plagiarize from anything. It's a coincidence

????? This is too similar to a poem called Immortality,"  by Clare Harner Lyon..kinda makes me a bit skeptical of your poem .tbh.

Actually it is quite good! Line four is a bit of a weak point, at least to me. You could omit it entirely, or something like "I, am no longer " although I'm not sure that would be an improvement! Poetry has no real rules, so even if something doesn't follow traditional patterns it's fine if it conveys the emotion/thought/idea. 

Keep writing, I look forward to reading it.

I feel this poem, love the theme and its very well written. I think you could sprinkle in some more adjectives to add a bit more flavour to it, like ","silver snow", "spirng wind", "scorched earth". Its just a suggestion and it might not work as well as I think it might, just an observation to get to experiment with some more spices.

As for the titles, I like to make titles using lines from the poem, I think it gives the line when its said more impact, so I'd say "For I am not there" or simply "Am not there".

Awesome structure and very compelling illustration of emotion.  I can fell the melancholy oozing off each line. the detachment you seek from those who wish to implore your existence echoes a lot of the same feeling I have sometimes. I can really relate with this poem. For a title maybe "Vacant"

Damn, this really nails home the finality of death.  I really like the abrupt sentences, it is very simple yet effective.   


 "I do not wish to be remembered;  
nor to be forgotten.  
I do not wish for anything,  
For I no longer wish."  


I'd have to say these 4 lines are my favorite.  They all mesh really well together when rea in their entirety.  I don't really know how to describe it, its almost like a paradox.  You do not wish for people to remember, but you aren't wishing them to NOT remember you or to not forget you, you are simply not wishing, as you are no more.  I'm not the best at this myself so sorry if this comment isn't helpful, just like you to know I really dig the poem.


Hello readers, welcome to OCpoetry. This subreddit is a writing workshop community -- a place where poets of all skill levels can share, enjoy, and talk about each other's poetry. Every person who's shared, including the OP above, has given some feedback (those are the links in the post) and hopes to receive some in return (from you, the readers).

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I'm a science person, actually. I wrote this poem with a more philosophical mindset more than anything. About my atoms being trapped in the earth, did you know that the human body disposes of dead cells and makes new ones, at a rate at which in 5 years no cell in your body is the one it was when you were born? So "my body's atoms" isn't really a thing. Read about the ship of Theseus if you want to read about some nice thought similar to this. It's a really nice thought experiment.

Good job. Idk what to tell you but about line 4. Besides. I like "I am no longer". I do not agree with you though. As science has proven 5 and 6 to not be true. Your literally exchanging electrons with everything around you constantly. You were made from rock and snow. And to that you will return. But really the atoms and electrons in your body will be trapped here on earth for eons.

Poets have used quotes from other posts to complement an idea in their poem or to allude to that poem or reference that poem as compared to their poem in some way. Think t. S. Eliot, but there's a list. Any use of rosy fingered dawn not only created an image but a reference to homer. In using that reference , to my mind, you have contrasted lyon's poem's meaning to the meaning of your poem , which is in stark contrast to immortality.

Sorry for what seems like plagiarism. It's a coincidence. I came up with the 2 lines by entertaining the idea until I came up with a nice sounding start.

Having read this poem,I recognized the start. You've appropriated another poet's line to start your poem. Well, there are other posts that have done that as an allusion to a different bent of idea. And that you did. Lyon went for immortality, while you went for nothingness. So if you're looking for a title I would refer to Lyon in it : Death is not a Lyon.

I changed it a bit to resemble "immortality" a bit less

Ok, here's my advice, though you didn't ask for it. I am a poet and I have been writing poetry 35 years. You wrote that you are a science guy..so don't try to write a poem that fits your idea of a poem. Poems don't need to rhyme, they don't need to impress anyone at all..poems are expressions of what you care about when it's more than just words. It's wanting others to feel exactly what you are feeling in a frozen moment in time. It's capturing the beauty and the sadness, the hard and the devine. If your poem is about atoms than use words that capture your impression of how an atom makes you feel when you look at it, imagine it, contemplate its existence. Try using words that resonate with the visual image you are trying to convey. It's about the romance of you expressing something that matters to you. Describe the way it makes you feel and why, describe what you see, how it affects you, and most of all ..write it in a way that makes it feel like an entry in your own personal diary. I'

Sure, Thanks.
I also changed the first 2 lines to make it a bit less similar. (Though it now feels a little more disjointed)

It's ok. If you use anything from a poem that is well known, you just need to properly credit them and notate that the poem is "in the style of" that poet.

I usually name my.poems with the first line of my poems

I tried naming it don't stand at my grave, though it didn't feel right. Thanks for the suggestions though.

how about ," Don't Stand at my Grave" or," I Am Not There"

I don't know what to say apart from I'm sorry. I'm sorry that it's hard for you to not see what I tried to express, because of its similarity to immortality. I'm truly sorry. I'm sorry my writing is lame. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry dude but I'm cringing so hard at your attempts to pretend this isn't plagiarism.

The first line is exactly the same except you changed "cry" to "weep."

"I am not there, I am not up high" steals "I am not there" and then lamely changed the second part to rhyme with cry.

Then the entire middle section:  
I am not the blowing wind.

I am not the crystal snow.

I am not in the crumbling earth.

I am not in your thoughts."  

Is just a lamer version of 

"I am the thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sunlight on ripened grain

I am the gentle autumn rain."

Except you say the opposite of what the original poem was saying. And, because you didn't rip it off word for word so you don't know how to rhyme so you just write sentences. You even use "I am not the crystal snow" which is very similar to "diamond glints on snow."

Then you make up a couple of lame lines, which would be nice except for the fact that you plagiarized most of the poem. And the

Please, I didn't mean to plagiarize. Sorry if it's so hard to believe but I didn't mean to write something so similar. I changed it a bit to be more distinct. Is that not enough?

C'mon mate. You tried to plagiarize another poet's work because you thought people wouldn't recognize it and now you are denying it. Just delete this post and try to make your own poems without stealing them.

Do not stand at my grave and cry

I am not there, I am not up high.

I am not in a good place, nor worse.

I simply am no longer, alive anymore.


I am not the blowing wind.

I am not the crystal snow.

I am not in the crumbling earth.

I am not in your thoughts.


I do not wish to be remembered;

nor to be forgotten.

I do not wish for anything,

For I no longer wish.


Do not cherish me with your time,

For I can not care.

Do not honor me with your cry,

For I am not there.



This is my first poem, so it's obviously not the best. To be clear, I'm not saying it's bad, but rather am asking for some tips I should follow for future poems. (Also, I was in a sort of loss of words to use in line 4. I know it's pretty disjointed)



Link 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/utza46/not_blank/i9dgfmx

Link 2:
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/ut836y/humming_bird/i9dmq0j

a poem, lacking a name (suggestions are highly appreciated)