Because I Could Not Stop For Death Summary and Analysis
“Because I Could Not Stop For Death”
By: Emily Dickinson
Part 5
“Could not stop for Death = emphasis on how you don’t have a choice on when you die.
“He kindly stopped for me” irony, death isn’t kind. Kind gives positive energy and death doesn’t give that (contrast).
“The carriage held just by ourselves” shows how you have to go at death alone and it’s just the two of you, emphasis on the loneliness that comes with death and people try to mask how it really is with pretty thoughts (Carriage=pretty, think of fairy tales) “immortality” first hint that she thinks death isn’t the end, that despite her dark poems and state of mind she still has hope.
“He slowly drove-he knew no haste” emphasis on how death is slow, makes drawn out suspense.
“And I put away; my labor and my leisure too,; for his civility” Stops caring about her work and hobbies, knows the end is near so it is pointless; maybe death has distracted her from everything else as she describes it as being charming and kind ( under the spell of death, likes the ideas of being done with responsibility etc. Seems content with death. Feels death is more civil than humans.
“We passed the school, were children strove at recess-in the ring” Seems eerily normal compared to her personifying death in the lines before which is completely un-normal. Maybe makes death blend with ordinary life, maybe the illusion of walking through time
“We passed the Field of Grazin Grain- We passed the Setting Sun” Setting is shown, setting sun signifies the end of their journey together
“Or rather-He passed us” personification once again of non-living things; the further into the poem we go, the less it makes sense-getting further away from reality. The “or rather” indicates a shift in the poems mood- shift from reality to non-reality.
“The dews drew quivering and chill-for only gossamer, my gown-my tippet-only tule-“ The dew is setting after the sun sets and it becomes cold but she is wearing thin clothing; maybe being
By: Emily Dickinson
Part 5
“Could not stop for Death = emphasis on how you don’t have a choice on when you die.
“He kindly stopped for me” irony, death isn’t kind. Kind gives positive energy and death doesn’t give that (contrast).
“The carriage held just by ourselves” shows how you have to go at death alone and it’s just the two of you, emphasis on the loneliness that comes with death and people try to mask how it really is with pretty thoughts (Carriage=pretty, think of fairy tales) “immortality” first hint that she thinks death isn’t the end, that despite her dark poems and state of mind she still has hope.
“He slowly drove-he knew no haste” emphasis on how death is slow, makes drawn out suspense.
“And I put away; my labor and my leisure too,; for his civility” Stops caring about her work and hobbies, knows the end is near so it is pointless; maybe death has distracted her from everything else as she describes it as being charming and kind ( under the spell of death, likes the ideas of being done with responsibility etc. Seems content with death. Feels death is more civil than humans.
“We passed the school, were children strove at recess-in the ring” Seems eerily normal compared to her personifying death in the lines before which is completely un-normal. Maybe makes death blend with ordinary life, maybe the illusion of walking through time
“We passed the Field of Grazin Grain- We passed the Setting Sun” Setting is shown, setting sun signifies the end of their journey together
“Or rather-He passed us” personification once again of non-living things; the further into the poem we go, the less it makes sense-getting further away from reality. The “or rather” indicates a shift in the poems mood- shift from reality to non-reality.
“The dews drew quivering and chill-for only gossamer, my gown-my tippet-only tule-“ The dew is setting after the sun sets and it becomes cold but she is wearing thin clothing; maybe being