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Because I Could Not Stop For Death Summary

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‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death’ Analysis
‘Because I could not stop for Death’ is a lyrical poem written by Emily Dickinson first published posthumously in Poems: Series 1 in 1890. She gives us a unique interpretation of Death—as someone kind and courteous, compassionately taking us to ‘the other side’.
Dickinson’s use of capitalization and dashes in this poem is highly effective--her dashes guiding us along to the next line—therefore slowing the poem dramatically, henceforth placing a much heavier emphasis on the words following them. As Death is personified as going out of his way to collect our speaker, she speaks fondly of him—perhaps in the same manner one may regard a gentleman caller. After she climbs into his carriage, she introduces Immortality in a somewhat off-hand manner, as seen: “The Carriage held but just Ourselves – / And Immortality.” This …show more content…

This is a direct metaphor of the physical changes that undergo as a person passes away. As Death brings her to her new ‘house’, her grave, she describes it as a swelling in the ground. Dickinson rides the line between the reality of the situation, and the description of the metaphorical house. She describes the roof as barely visible—this is the top of her coffin, still undergoing burial. It is made clear that this part of death—the coldness, and burial—may not be ideal, but it does guide her to Immortality. Additionally, the use of alliteration in this stanza that emphasizes the material trappings—“gossamer” “gown” and “tippet” “tulle”—makes the stanza much less sinister.
The speaker reminisces on this day she died: “Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet / Feels shorter than the Day”. We’re given insight that the speaker has been dead throughout the poem, and has been telling the story of the day she died--she always knew the horse’s leading the carriage were always leading her on to the

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In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” Porter uses multiple allusions to three of Emily Dickinson’s poems to show the change from total, unwavering Christian faith, to the absence of Jesus as Granny dies. In the story, Porter describes Granny stepping into a cart, whose driver Granny knew by his hands, and whose face she did not have to see, because she “knew without seeing” (Porter). This scene is almost identical to the scene in Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for death-.” This allusion aids in conveying the Christian idea of death as Granny has come to accept it: a tranquil figure, Death, calmly and peacefully carries one’s soul to an eternity where centuries feel like days.

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She was all too comfortable with death living in her house for an extended period of time, so much so that her father’s corpse laid in her house for three days after he had died. “Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face” (Johnson

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Henry meant Notice how, even though the traveler is likely no longer with us, there are other people and animals still alive and kicking: the hostler and those horses.     Have you ever told yourself that you were so busy you could not stop for death, well Emily Dickinson did. “Because I Could Not Stop For Death.” What does Emily Dickinson mean by this Stating that she could not stop for death means that Emily didn't have a choice about when she was to die. We've all probably heard something like this before.

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She shows that she feels that is useless because she says “tell it to the bog –the livelong June- to an admiring Bog!” (Dickinson 7-8). The poem “I can wade grief”, further shows how her writings were affected by the death of her family members and romances, Dickinson says “I Can wade grief, whole pools of it, I am used to that” (Dickinson 1-3; Emily Dickinson's Biography). Another sign of Dickinson’s depressing thoughts of solitude and losses are shown when she writes the poem “Are friends a

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Whitman and Dickinson share the theme of death in their work, while Whitman decides to speak of death in a more realistic point of view, Dickinson speaks of the theme in a more conceptual one. In Whitman’s poems, he likes to have a more empathic view of individuals and their ways of living. For example, in Whitman’s “Song of Myself”, the poet talks about not just of himself, but all human beings, and of how mankind works into the world and the life of it. Even though the poem mostly talks about life and the happiness of it, Whitman describes also that life itself has its ending, and that is the theme of death. For Dickinson, she is the complete opposite of happiness.

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In Because I Could Not Stop for Death Dickinson uses alliteration repeatedly to describe her mortal life and immortal life. For example, in line 7 she says, “My labor and my leisure too”. This describes how she put away all the work and all the pleasure of her mortal life. Signifying how none of these mortal aspects matter anymore as death is taking her away. Another example, in line 15, “For only Gossamer, my Gown” Dickinson uses a very eerie form of alliteration as she describes being covered in cob webs, this gossamer is her gown for eternity.

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And then I heard them life a Box, And creak across my Soul”. The reader can understand that the narrator isn’t really attending a funeral, but is instead comparing her losing her sense and sanity to a death at a funeral. Her use of punctuation also showcases how mad she is. A quote that supports this is,” And Being, but an Ear, And I, and Silence, some strange Race”. Dickinson is giving making the ear a person as if to say she only listens but she is silent and is unable to express

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When Dickinson was young she thought of death as a kind, peaceful gentleman. She elaborates on this idea in her poem “Because I could not Stop for Death”, “Because I could not stop for Death/ He kindly stopped for me/ We slowly drove - He knew no haste,” Emily Dickinson uses the personification of Death in a way that bears resemblance to a classy, peaceful gentleman who is willing to slowly guide and patiently wait for a lady. Her wording also gives the connotation that she is young and in love with this gentle Death. This idea abruptly turns into hatred when she loses her parents.

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In the poem “Because I could not stop for death” by Emily Dickinson, death is described as a person, and the narrator is communicating her journey with death in the afterlife. During the journey the speaker describes death as a person to accompany her during this journey. Using symbolism to show three locations that are important part of our lives. The speaker also uses imagery to show why death isn 't’ so scary.

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In the opening stanza the speaker states being too busy for death. Thus, death “kindly” takes the time to stop for her since she has no time to do it for herself. Death stops to pick up the speaker and take her on a ride in his horse-drawn carriage in the form of a suitor along with “immorality” being their chaperon. This “civility” that Death exhibits leads the speaker on giving up what made her busy as Dickinson states “And I had put away / My labor and my leisure too (6-7).

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In “Because I could not stop for Death” Dickinson views death as a

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In “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”, Emily Dickinson uses imagery and symbols to establish the cycle of life and uses examples to establish the inevitability of death. This poem describes the speaker’s journey to the afterlife with death. Dickinson uses distinct images, such as a sunset, the horses’ heads, and the carriage ride to establish the cycle of life after death. Dickinson artfully uses symbols such as a child, a field of grain, and a sunset to establish the cycle of life and its different stages. Dickinson utilizes the example of the busyness of the speaker and the death of the sun to establish the inevitability of death.

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The Transformation that Changes our Lives The poet Emily Dickinson in her poem, I Felt a Funeral in my Brain that is the first line of the poem, not a special title that Dickinson chose. It tells about the story of the experience of the speaker in the poem who is transforming from place to another. Many readers would take this poem as an explanation of what happens after death, what the dead body feels in the funeral.

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