Last lines can often make or break a piece of writing. Likewise, they may impact whether or not you remember a piece of writing at all. Many lists of “famous last lines” tend to favor the classics. For this list however, we’ve decided to shake things up a bit and compile our own cluster of poetry and fiction ‘endings’ that we deem especially noteworthy. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll inspire you to take a look at these wonderful books and poems with us.
Poetry ~
“Our whole world is dead and so can do you no harm.” – Not Horses by Natalie Shapero
Natalie Shapero first published “Not Horses” in the November 2013 issue of Poetry Magazine before it appeared in her 2017 collection titled “Hard Child.” The poem includes themes of life, death, time, and how we as humans understand each of those. She writes of the fears towards the world beyond the front door, how hostile and bleak it can feel, before bringing the narrative back to the speaker and their dog. She writes, “I wish she could have a single day of language, / so that I might reassure her don’t be afraid — / our whole world is dead and so can do you no harm.” By itself, the final line is already quite harrowing, but it becomes even more heartbreaking when you include the lines before it. This line remains one of my favorite last lines in poetry because I honestly find some comfort in it. The dueling feelings of protection and destruction are immensely powerful and leave me thinking long after I’m done reading the piece.
“Your veins are using up the redness of the world.” – Poem in January by Frank O’Hara
I’ve only recently learned about Frank O’Hara, but I fell in love with his writing almost immediately. This poem was a quick favorite of mine, and admittedly this might be my favorite last line on this list. “Poem in January” was originally published in the November 1954 issue of Poetry Magazine and was then included in O’Hara’s collection “Meditations in an Emergency” in 1957. Like much of O’Hara’s work, this poem blends his unique poetic voice with various thoughts and observations that are then conveyed beautifully. He poses questions at the reader, asking them to unpack the human experience along with him. The final stanza reads, “I am troubled as I salute the crocus. / There shall be no more reclining on the powdered roads, / Your veins are using up the redness of the world,” leaving off with an image that’ll stick with you and lots of questions. What does it mean, you might ask? I think that’s up to you to decide.
“If morning arrives, I will wash my face” – Portrait of the Alcoholic with Home Invader and Housefly by Kaveh Ackbar
“Calling a Wolf a Wolf” is Kaveh Ackbar’s debut poetry collection which he published in 2017. In it he explores themes of religion, addiction, loss, health, faith, and more. Within the collection, there are a few poems titled “Portrait of the Alcoholic with…” and though each poem is different, they are united under their reflections on alcoholism and its effects. This piece in particular sees the speaker being woken up by a home invader. In what could possibly be their final thoughts, the speaker reflects on the time they kept a pet fly. The poem’s narrative twists and turns until it ends with one of the strongest “Ifs” I’ve ever read: “If morning arrives, I will wash my face.” The “If” in this line builds towards something, both in the poem and in the broader collection it’s a part of. It evokes a feeling of dread in readers, while also making them wonder what will happen if morning does not arrive. It’s a spectacularly powerful line that I’m always blown away by, no matter how many times I read it.
“Pick up the once flaming sword, and wait.” – Wonderland by Matthew Dickman
In 2018, Matthew Dickman published his collection of poems, “Wonderland,” which includes a few poems sharing the same name. Each poem gives a bit more of a narrative surrounding the character named Caleb. This line comes from the first of the “Wonderland” series, which sees Caleb playing in the front yard. He pretends to be a hero in his favorite cartoons, but after his father leaves he finds his mother bruised in the dark of her room. The final line sees Caleb return to the front yard, his pretend flaming sword in hand, as he waits to defend his mother from his father. This final line hurts a lot. It’s a perfect blend of childhood innocence and some very dark and traumatic themes. It never fails to make me stare at a wall and want to cry.
“When the sheep are cannibals?” – Prayer for the Newly Damned by Ocean Vuong
In 2011 Ocean Vuong received The American Poetry Review’s Stanley Kunitz Prize for Younger Poets with the poem “Prayer for the Newly Damned.” A few years later, Vuong included this poem in his debut poetry collection “Night Sky With Exit Wounds,” in 2017. The poem takes the form of a Christian prayer, with the speaker begging “Father” for answers as they reflect on life and religion. However, the poem can also be interpreted as the speaker questioning their own father and fearing the world they’re growing into. As the piece nears its end, we’re met with the lines, “Dearest Father, what becomes of the boy / no longer a boy? Please / what becomes of the shepherd / when the sheep are cannibals?” The final two lines invoke more of the religious imagery before turning it on its head to ask that harrowing final question. It’s a powerful uppercut of a final line that knocks me on my ass every single time.
Fiction ~
“I am haunted by Humans.” — The Book Thief by Markus Zusack
I figured it was only appropriate to start off with an absolute banger like this one. It hits hard regardless of whether you’ve read the book or not, although if you have you would be well aware that the novel is narrated entirely by death, and that this final line is death’s last bit of commentary. This, if you ask me, is pretty epic. The book was originally published in 2005, but somehow a line like this feels more and more relevant with every apocalyptic thing that has come up in recent years. There is simply nothing to describe how hollow and weighted this one makes me feel.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” — The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I’m not usually a fan of classics, and I’m not even sure I loved The Great Gatsby all that much (although that could have just been the teenage angst I possessed when I was forced to read it in eleventh grade). However, it’s hard to deny how effective this is as a last line. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if this book made it on every single high school reading list just for this line alone.
“You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.” — The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I felt it was essential to include a solid fantasy line on this list. What better way to do this than by choosing one from a solid fantasy book. The Night Circus is a perfect bridge between young adult and adult fiction, as well as between the magic and the real. I think aside from this line being a perfect culmination of the book itself, even by itself it’s able to convey the perfect kind of whimsical abstract sense of fantasy that I love.
“Sometimes I wonder how I can survive in this world where, as Mary Oliver puts it, “everything / Sooner or later / Is part of everything else.” Other times, I remember that I won’t survive of course. I will, sooner or later, be the everything that is part of everything else. But until then: What an astonishment to breathe on this breathing planet. What a blessing to be Earth loving Earth.” — The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
It seemed exceptionally important to represent not just fiction but nonfiction as well for this compilation. For this I present The Anthropocene Reviewed. This recent nonfiction exploration from John Green (Perhaps you heard of his other novels — This one contains far less teen love and cigarette metaphors I promise you) is based on a podcast of the same name in which Green reviews ordinary things through an existential lens. In this book he rates everything from Geese to Scratch n’ Sniff stickers, and somehow made me tear up in the process. Say what you want about John Green’s style or reputation, but something about this book made me feel a little bit better about being a human, and I think that counts for something. This line alone speaks for itself in that way.
“But when you get home this evening, when this day is over and the night takes us, allow yourself a deep breath. Because we made it through this day as well.
There’ll be another one along tomorrow.” — Anxious people by Fredrik Backman
I don’t know if it’s just because I’m neck deep in finals season at the moment but this line hit me hard when I went to read it back for the first time since reading the book. Without spoiling the plot too much, Anxious People is a book about a robbery but also about mental health and just basic human kindness and connection. I chose to include this line because it perfectly summarizes the book’s main idea — the idea that everyone everywhere is ultimately just doing their best. As a college student it’s also just a nice reminder, especially at this point in the school year. I hope it’s a good reminder for you too.
Featured image by Jewel Miller.
