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Emily dickinsons point of view on death in because i could not stop for death
Death in modern poetry
In emily dickinson's poem, because i could not stop for death, theme
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In the poem we see a recurrent theme from Dickinson and that theme is death. We receive a different view of death this time around as a being that is both kind and comforting. Using literary elements such as rhythm, imagery, figures of speech, and symbolism, we are given an insightful view into the passage of the narrator. In Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death", we have the theme of death, not as something to be feared, but as a peaceful journey to eternity.
In the first stanza we see death personified as a kind guide leading her on her journey from life. Death is not feared by the narrator, but seen for his kindness, "Because I could not stop for Death /He kindly stopped for me" (Dickinson). We see hear the imagery of a kindly person doing a favor for someone, in that, Death makes a special stop for her because she was too busy for him. This image of a kindly, comforting companion is also seen in that they share the carriage with only one other, immortality.
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In contrast to her busy life, her journey is not rushed by death, "We slowly drove / He knew no haste" (Dickinson). Here we have a direct contrast with her previous state. She was too busy for death but now time means nothing, and they can take their time. Death is again seen as a gentle guide, and "For His Civility" she can now let go (Dickinson). It is here we see that it is the grace of Death that allows her pass peacefully. It is also because of his civility "I had put away /My labor and my leisure too" (Dickinson). Here Dickinson uses metonymy to represent her old life. Her old life being full of labor and leisure, but no true free
While the poem starts with Death picking her up in his carriage, the final resting ground is not the grave site. It is said “We paused before a House that seemed / A swelling of the Ground” (17-18) which tells us they stop at the grave for the narrator’s death but they only pause there inferring it is not the last place they will visit on their journey. In the final stanza of the poem she says “Since then –‘tis Centuries –and yet / Feels shorter than the Day / I first surmised the Horses’ Heads / Were toward Eternity –” (21-24). This can be interpreted as an image that shows the horses who are guiding the Narrator and Death on their carriage ride, have their heads pointing straight towards eternity, which proves that once she is buried it is not the end as she is existing in some form of an afterlife. She also says, although it was centuries ago, it “Feels shorter than the Day” (22), proving that time plays no role in eternity and that her burial feels shorter than it actually was, once again supporting the idea of her existence in an afterlife. Once reading the final stanza and seeing her existence in eternity, the quote “The Carriage held but just Ourselves –/ And Immortality” (3-4) from the first stanza begins to make more sense for the readers. If you are in a carriage with death, you are thought to be on your final ride and so the only way to
Dickinson gives us a joyous and happy view of death, which is like a kind gentleman that takes her on a journey. He is so civil, therefore. she willingly gives him her “labor” and “leisure”. She is not afraid of death, she instead receives it calmly. Whitman’s view is the contrary.
There is probably no one, among people, who has not considered death as a subject to think about or the events, people, and spirits that they would face after death. Also, since we were little kids we were asking our parents what death is and what is going to happen after we die. People have always linked death with fear, darkness, depression, and other negative feelings but not with Emily Dickinson, who was a reclusive poet from Massachusetts who was obsessed with death and dying in her tons of writings. She writes “Because I could not stop for Death” and in this particular poem she delivers a really different idea of death and the life after death. In the purpose of doing that, the speaker encounters death which was personalized to be in a form of gentleman suitor who comes to pick her up with his horse-drawn carriage for a unique death date that will last forever. In fact, she seems completely at ease with the gentleman. Additionally, their journey at the beginning seems pretty peaceful; as they pass through the town, she sees normal events such as children who are playing, fields of grain, and a sunset. After this, dusk takes place and the speakers gets chilly because she was not ready for this journey and she did not wear clothes that would make her feel warm. Consequently, readers get the idea that death is not a choice, so when it comes, that is it. Emily Dickinson, in her poem “Because I could not stop for Death,” uses personification, imagery, and style to deliver her positive and peaceful idea of death and life after death.
...h picks up the speaker in a horse drawn carriage “And Immortality” (4) joins them. The poet is implying that with death comes immorality, just not of the sort that one reads about in Twilight novels. Indeed, Dickinson is not referring to temporal perpetuity, but a spiritual eternity. Besides that, earthly pleasures and acts appear to have lost their appeals for the speaker. When she tells of how they “passed the school, where children strove / At recess, in the ring”, notice how the word strove is used in place of the word play, indicating that life is a struggle. Death “kindly stopped for [her]” (2), and she though him very civil for doing so. The last intriguing aspect to this poem is the way Dickinson wrote it so that it included no allusions to anything specifically religious, any reader, no matter their beliefs, could in someway relate to the theme of the poem.
Life and death are but trails to eternity and are seen less important when viewed in the framework of eternity. Emily Dickinson’s poem Death is a gentleman taking a woman out for a drive.” Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me” (Dickinson 1-2). Emily describes being a busy woman who is caught up in everyday situations.
Emily Dickinson is well-known as a poet who lived a secluded and sheltered life. Many of her poems focus on subjects of death and dying. In “Because I could not stop for death”, Emily Dickinson expresses her very personal thoughts on death and what follows. She presents these thoughts in the form of a poem in which she shares her feelings and philosophies as someone who experienced life as a sheltered recluse. This paper will review Emily Dickinson’s poem, and will evaluate her use of familiar sensory stimuli to describe the three stages of life as well as her use of personifications, metaphoric devices, and tone to illuminate death in a pleasant light and contradict its connotation as the end.
In Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” she uses the structure of her poem and rhetoric as concrete representation of her abstract beliefs about death to comfort and encourage readers into accepting Death when He comes. The underlying theme that can be extracted from this poem is that death is just a new beginning. Dickinson deftly reassures her readers of this with innovative organization and management, life-like rhyme and rhythm, subtle but meaningful use of symbolism, and ironic metaphors.
In the first two lines of Dickinson’s poem, she uses language that sets the mood of the poem: “Because I could not stop for Death- / He kindly stopped for me” (1-2). By stating it in this manner, the impression is given that Death as a concept or as a character is not an unrelenting and violent force, but rather a kind and patient being, who is doing a service to the soon to be deceased. The word “kindly” is key in providing that insight, as it conveys patience and well as willingness. It does not make Death sound angrily patient, as if He only is because his job requires such, but rather that He is more than happy to be doing this particular service for the subject. This mood is further emphasized and given validity when Dickinson states, “We slowly drove-He knew no haste” (5). Again, Death is shown to be calm and relaxed, not in a rush. Teaming this line with the final line in the poem gives further clairvoyance to why Death may be so willing to plod along and make no haste. “Were toward Eternity-“ (24); The reader is beckoned to understand that a patient and time consuming carriage ride is really not that unreasonable when it is leading towards forever. When examining these two lines together, it certainly makes clear that time is the least of concerns for both the driver and the passenger.
Emily Dickinson is one of the numerous poets who uses death as the subject of several of her poems. In her poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," Death is portrayed as a gentleman who comes to give the speaker. a ride to eternity. Throughout the poem, Dickinson develops her unusual. interpretation of death and, by doing so, composes a poem full of imagery that is both unique and thought provoking.
Dickinson 's poem uses poetic devices of personification to represent death, she represents death as if it were a living being. Dickinson 's capitalization of the word “DEATH”, causes us to see death as a name, in turn it becomes noun, a person, and a being, rather than what it truly is, which is the culminating even of human life. The most notable use of this, is seen in the very first few lines of the poem when Dickinson says “Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me”. In her poem Dickinson makes death her companion, as it is the person who is accompanying her to her grave. She states that death kindly stopped for her and she even goes as far as to give death the human ability to stop and pick her up. The occasion of death through Dickinson use of personification makes it seem like an interaction between two living beings and as a result the poem takes on a thoughtful and light hearted tone. The humanization of death makes the experience more acceptable and less strange, death takes on a known, familiar, recognizable form which in turn makes the experience more relatable. As the poem
In the first stanza, when she says "I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me", she’s not ready to die but accepts the fact that it is a natural thing that happens to all human beings, and comes at its own time, no matter what you are doing or where you are it will come and take you, to which she seems content. She personifies death as if it was a kind gentleman, or her groom that comes to pick her up and take her away in his carriage on a pleasant ride; she also realizes that ironically someone else is riding along with them, Immortality—looking at it in a positive way. It is also interesting to point out how she separates death from immortality, when she says “The carriage held but just ourselves—and immortality”. She seems excited about her journey with her two companions, and feels so pleased by this gentleman’s courtesy that she gives up her distress and freedom to enjoy it –when you are dead, there are no more troubles and no more leisure time. She feels happy with her exchange of life for death’s civility.
In the beginning of the poem, Dickinson writes, "Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me." Not only does Dickinson portray death as a man, but she does so in a way that the man is not perceived in a negative way. She writes as if the man is her lover, kindly stopping in a way as if he was to suit her. Death is not our enemy, but instead is our companion. In the next two lines, in lines three and four, Dickinson then uses a metaphor to compare a carriage to death.... ...
The first physical aspect is her actual passing through on her journey with?Death?. The other meaning is that?They are also "passing" out of time into eternity? Melani. Dickinson tries to emphasize that they are not only passing through on the journey, but passing on in life and moving to?Eternity? 24.
For Dickinson, on the contrary, death is not something unreal. As the author has written "Because I could not stop for Death, he kindly stopped for me..." After reading these two lines the reader "imagines the picture of Death being a human which joins the author during the ride" . Dickinson tries to portray the characteristics of death in the poem. Stating that there is eternity after death, the author alludes both the possibility of the life after death and absolute zero-ness of it. Unlike Plath, Dickinson not only talks about the notion of death, but personalizes it. The reader feels that the author in fact...
When reading “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, it is important to note Emily Dickinson’s somber disposition on life as she tackles the heavy topics of death and the afterlife. Once understood, one can see that the message Dickinson conveys to the reader is one of hopelessness; that time and death hold power over our lives and are able to dwindle what was once meaningful.