The cemetery of new century Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The cemetery of new century - Research Paper Example The places where these deceased are permanently homed and commemorated are therefore a kind of fusion between life and the afterlife. It is a place where the living can incorporate the sense of the dead into their lives, and the same for the inverse. Yet we find that cemeteries and crematoriums and other burial areas all have a sombre tone about them and a sort of morbidity. Even though we aim to incorporate them into our lives, we find that they are often in isolated locations, away from the hustle of life, and if they are in a centralized location, life tends to move away from it instead, driven by the grim aura surrounding it. But as time is progressing, perhaps so should this inconsistency. There is no reason why cemeteries should be away from modern life and society, and why they should be an area of grimness. Cemeteries can maintain their solitude and sanctity but in a way where they are integrated with our current lives and living areas, and that, in my view, is what the cemet ery of the new century. But first, it is important to recognize why there needs to be a shift in the ideology behind a cemetery in a first place. The most basic and traditional type of cemetery is what is commonly known as a monumental cemetery. This is perhaps the most popular sort of burial ground in the west (Curl, 1980). In a monumental cemetery, graves are covered either by concrete, marble or granite, and distinctly marked by a headstone or monument. Individual graves can be surrounded by a boundary wall or a fence, as can be grouped graves belonging to family members. Because monumental ceremonies host graves from a variety of families and people, there generally isn't a common caretaker to personally care for individual graves. Cemetery authorities are responsible for the maintenance of the general graveyard, and may therefore trim or mow the grass between graves, or perform maintenance work the common boundary of the cemetery, there operations are often labor-intensive and without a personal caretaker, may cause the cemetery to go into slight decline. Monumental cemetery caretakers often face criticism over this as it is these reasons which give monumental cemeteries a traditionally sombre look. Furthermore, as the caretakers are not responsible for the maintenance of the headstones found on each grave, they too may become damaged over the years, and without maintenance may lead to the sombre and grim look of the cemetery. Lawn cemeteries are similar to monumental cemeteries but the difference being that instead of headstones, commemorative plates or plaques set in grass are used to denote individual graves. Graves too are on ground level and simply covered in grass. Most graves are therefore not customized and tend to follow the standard pattern set by each cemetery. Lawn cemeteries seemed easier to maintain, and generally are so too, but families placing flowers and other objects on graves tend to clutter the cemeteries. Another problem with lawn ce meteries is that over time grass may grow over the plaques covering the graves. Memorial parks are similar to lawn cemeteries except that the plaques on the grave are generally completely uniform and often the graves all have a certain common form of death, such as all being casualties of a war perhaps. Natural