Preview

Because I Could Not Stop For Death

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
904 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Because I Could Not Stop For Death
Because I Could Not Stop For Death Emily Dickinson talks about an undying love between her and this man throughout this poem. The two are so in love that, even though the man in the relationship has died, the love Dickinson has for him will carry on forever. Dickinson expresses a deep passion, and a genuine sense of what it is to love and to lose, someone you care about. The two are supposedly riding in this carriage slowly and calmly, making no haste to get to where they are going. Dickinson conveys a feeling of sadness, and of heartbreak from losing a loved one. They embark on a long and peaceful journey, that at the end holds death, and the silent whisper of a love that is so fierce it will carry on in eternity. The theme of this poem is about a journey shared between two soul mates.
In the first phrase of this poem Emily Dickinson writes “Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly stopped for me-- The Carriage held but just Ourselves- And Immortality”(Halley). It’s hard to discern what Dickinson meant when she says “Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly stopped for me”. However by reading the poem one can fathom the fact that the man Emily Dickinson talks about has died. The carriage of which Dickinson speaks of, is a metaphor used to describe life, and the journey that one’s life enfolds. The journey the couple in this poem is on, is a journey of love, that carries on for centuries, and through death.That is probably what Dickinson meant when she wrote “The Carriage held but just Ourselves- And Immortality”.In the second phrase the first line Dickinson writes “We slowly drove- He knew no haste”(Halley). This could mean multiple things, but again the whole idea of this poem is about a lifelong journey shared with your soulmate. Given that information, Dickinson seems to be trying to indicate that her and this man, were in no rush to get through life, but to appreciate it as it goes by.The rest of the second phrase Dickinson writes, “And I

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the stanza death arrives to pick up the speaker. She says “Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly waited for me,” (1-2) this shows that Dickinson represents death as a generous person. He’s also described as being patient, when in reality death can’t stop to wait for someone. We then see that death and the speaker aren’t the only ones going along this ride but so is “immortality” (4). “We slowly drove- he knew no haste” (5). By saying this she shows us that he has patience and that death isn’t in a hurry to get to their…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first stanza Dickinson writes, “Because I could not stop for Death- / He kindly stopped for me-” (Dickinson 1-2). Right away it appears as if the death was unexpected and there were no signs of it coming to the person. These theme continues through Dickinson’s poem as she takes this person through the experience of death in a carriage ride with Death itself. Through the carriage ride there is no sense of danger as Dickinson writes, “I had put away / My labor and my leisure to, / For His Civility-” (Dickinson 6-8). As they ride together there is a familiarity between them as if they are friends enjoying the presence of each…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In her poem 479, Emily Dickinson personifies death and takes the reader on a journey to eternity. The first stanza, “Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me.” (Dickinson, 2008, p. 1214-1215) Dickinson refers to death as a horseman driving a carriage to take her away to die. She then goes on to explain he's driving very slow as she carefully tries to make peace with her life's work. Dickinson describes the children and fields of grains she…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson expresses the speaker's reflection on death. The poem focuses on the concept of life after death. This poem's setting mirrors the circumstances by which death approaches, and death appears kind and compassionate. It is through the promise of immortality that fear is removed, and death not only becomes acceptable, but welcomed as well. As human beings, we feel that death never comes at a convenient or opportune time. When Dickinson says, "Because I could not stop for Death," she causes the reader to ask why she could not stop. The obvious answer is that she was so wrapped up in her own life that she did not think about death. She makes it clear that it is inescapable, though, when she says, "He kindly stopped for me." The next lines, "The Carriage held but just Ourselves-/And Immortality," signify that the miracle of life is our most precious possession and promises the gift of unending life. Immortality's presence helps to remove fears as we exit the physical world and provides the recipient with the necessary assistance to assure that the transition from reality to spirituality is a pleasant experience. If the promise of immortality did not exist, one would never go along willingly, nor would one welcome death without fear. Death and the speaker ride along with absolutely no concept of the passage of time. They are not hurried, as they have forever to reach their destination. This is stated in the line "We slowly drove-/He knew no haste." Having completed all her earthly chores, the speaker states that they are no longer of any concern to her. Now there is no sewing, cooking, cleaning, farming, or caring for loved ones. The speaker has been allowed the luxury of rest and relaxation, as the next lines reveal: "And I had put away-/My labor had my leisure too." Therefore, the person and death share a reminiscent journey together as they stroll down…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Emily Dickinson, a chief figure in American literature, wrote hundreds of poems in her lifetime using unusual syntax and form. Several if not all her poems revolved around themes of nature, illness, love, and death. Dickinson’s poem, Because I could not stop for Death, a lyric with a jarring volta conflates several themes with an air of ambiguity leaving multiple interpretations open for analysis. Whether death is a lover and immortality their chaperone, a deceiver and seducer of the speaker to lead her to demise, or a timely truth of life, literary devices such as syntax, selection of detail, and diction throughout the poem support and enable these different understandings to stand alone.…

    • 113 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The poems, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson and “Is My Team Plowing” by AE Housman have their own perception of the idea of death which they further emphasize with the use of figurative language and style. To begin with, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is a poem about a person, most likely based on the views of Dickinson, who is too into her own world that she does not acknowledge her own death. This poem uses style to emphasize the idea of love. For example, on the second stanza, “We slowly drove…” the structure evokes a feeling of excessive speed. This could infer that the narrator is rushing through her life without realizing death is around the corner.…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Emily Dickinson takes a slightly different view on the topic of death in her poem, Because I Could Not Stop For Death. First of all I noticed her capturing use of personification, relating death to a gentleman, who " kindly stopped" for her and sat with her through the trip of memories to her final destination, death. She makes death seem like an adventure, she tells us she couldn't stop her life for "him", but she didn't have to, "he" came and stopped her. It wasn't extremely hard and she really had no say, she went with him and didn't seem to show any signs of sadness or remorse. It seemed in the last quote, "Were toward Eternity," as though she was ending her past life and just at the very beginning of a renewed one. As her life is going past her on her trip the quote, "We passed the Setting Sun," symbolizes, as the sun setting, so is her life, but also like the sun, it will again rise…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The first line indicates the theme by using the word "death". In a critical analysis of the poem by Allen Tate, he says that "every image is precise and moreover not merely beautiful, but fused with the central idea" which in the poem is death (Tate, 84). Engle's main point on "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is that Dickinson uses the poem to refute death in its entirety. She begins by citing the opening line of the poem. Engle interprets this line to mean that Death, as an end point, ceases to be: "It is simply not her nature to stop for Death. She realizes that she cannot recognize Death's power over her. Once she reckons with that eternal or divine bent within her, Death stops; that is, Death ceases to be what Death is- and end," (Engle 74). This brings in the other character in the poem that also takes the carriage ride with, almost posing as a silent chaperone. This character is Immortality. If these two men are separate entities, what is Emily Dickinson asserting about the end of human life? This seems slightly unclear.…

    • 1044 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “Because I could not stop for Death” she writes death as a gentleman who is taking her for a ride. The first line of the poem says, “Because I could not stop for Death/ He kindly stopped for me” (1-2) Death as described as kind there, making it seem like it was almost a favor for her that he stopped and allowed her to ride with him. Or is a possibility that the speaker could not stop what they had been doing beforehand because no one truly stops for death. Death itself, however, has to stop for them instead. The word “kindly” simply makes death appear more humanized. The ride with death however is not the first ride of the speaker, towards the end of the poem, Dickinson reveals that the speaker was instead thinking back to the day they had first died. The carriage as well is an important part of the poem because while it carries death and the speaker, it also carries immortality. Again, Dickinson gives qualities to immortality that it otherwise does not possess, but the carriage known as immortality makes an ironic vehicle for the dying speaker to travel in. The personified qualities of death and immortality give the reader an easier understanding on the subject by making them a little more relatable with the idea that death is a gentlemen who escorts you, and the notion of immortality is actually the ride to the…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As you might wonder why might my title name is this. In these poems I have read them and they all have deeper meaning .With this deeper meaning many of the authors of these poems are kind of off but these poems symbolizes the journey in my eyes because most of them has to deal with a process of death or the process of the afterlife.…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The brilliant uses of imagery, personification, and symbolism in Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for death” reveal that death is not the end, but only the beginning of an eternity. Through Dickinson’s use of imagery, she successfully paints the different scenes with descriptive language and metaphors to allow the reader to get a deeper sense of the mood and what the poem is conveying. Using personification as one of the most important tools of literature in the poem, the author creates a unique view on the experience of death, painting it into a more pleasant light. Lastly, though Dickinson’s use of symbolism, she bestows many representations and symbols that help to strongly portray her underlying truth on the subject of death.…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Emily Dickinson Tone

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The message of the poem is to live your life with no regrets and worries. To enjoy everyday as a wild night or in other words to live life to the fullest. According to the poem “Rowing in Eden / Ah, the sea” this shows the beauty of the poem and how Dickinson is in paradise and when she imagines paradise she sees the blue sea.Overall the life message is good for people that are down. This poem is interesting because she then has poems about the feeling of death and how death is near but it connects with this poem. This is because if deaths nearby then live your life because you will regret not living your life. If somebody is dead and it makes you sad then you shouldn’t let that feeling bring you down because you’ll be sad and eventually die without doing anything. This poem is different than other poems that I have read because most poems are about sadness and deep dark…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Emily Dickinson did not aspire to be a famous poet with such galvanizing poems. Dickinson simply wanted to express her feelings and frustrations, without the searching, judging eyes of those around her. Unfortunately, one of her frustrations happened to be that she fell in love with the wrong men, specifically ones that were already committed to other women. Within the poem, “Heart! I will forget him!”, she said,”You may forget the warmth he gave,”(1.3). This translates to Dickinson trying to convince her heart to forget about the man, or men, she had feelings for. Maybe even giving her heart permission to let him go, which represents her continuous cycle of attempting to let go or hold onto something that wasn’t meant for her. This characteristic…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the history of human kind, there have existed a significant number of poets, who did not care to write about “happy things.” Rather, they concerned themselves with unpleasant and sinister concepts, such as death. Fascination and personification of death has become a common theme in poetry, but very few poets mastered it as well as Emily Dickinson did. Although most of Dickinson’s poems are morbid, a reader has no right to overlook the aesthetic beauty with which she embellishes her “dark” art. It is apparent that for Dickinson, death is more than an event, which occurs at least once in a lifetime of every being. For her, death is a person, who will take her away with Him, when the right time comes,…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The woman leaves with Death without protestation, and permits him to take control in driving the carriage. She evidently realizes that there is no use in fighting it and instead allows herself to be taken on this journey. Dickinson depicts as Death treating her “kindly” and very respectfully as well. She is not externalized or disregarded as his metaphorical wife. Additionally, Dickinson used specific symbolism such as the vision of the children at the schoolyard to signify the youthful period of her life, the carriage that symbolizes her funeral wagon—the vehicle that Death is using to take his bride to the next destination. All of these elements that Dickinson used to personify the concept of death is quite effectively in getting the reader to think outside the box. Perhaps there is an Eternity after death. Perhaps Death isn’t such a scary concept to embrace at the end of one’s life. These are the kinds of thoughts that reading this poem conjure up, and sure it shows that Dickinson certainly had a rather interesting view of the afterlife in general. That she was able to build such an interesting imagery about such a morbid topic shows just how much of a skilled poet she was. She will be continue to be lauded for those skills far into the future, perhaps even into…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics