Ready or Not

Emily Dickinson stands out from her contemporaries by discussing one of man's inevitable fears in an unconventional way: death. In two of her poems, "I heard a Fly buzz-when I died" and "Because I could not stop for Death," Dickinson expresses death in an unforeseen way. Although Dickinson portrays death in both of these poems, the way that she conveys the experience is quite different in each poem. Dickinson reveals death as a grim experience, with no glimpse of happiness once one's life is over in "I heard a Fly buzz-when I died." In contrast to this, Dickinson consoles the reader by characterizing death as a tranquil journey in "Because I could not stop for Death."

The loss of a loved one is an emotional and personal experience, and everyone grieves in their own way. Before the healing process can begin, the deceased must be laid to rest and this is usually accomplished with a funeral service. Many people choose a piece to be read at these ceremonies, such as W.H. Auden’s “Funeral Blues” and Mary Elizabeth Frye’s “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep.” It is quite thought-provoking to compare the poems, since the subject matter is the same, however each of these works views death from a different perspective, one negative and the other positive. Auden’s “Funeral Blues” is perceived through the eyes of the mourner.

W.H Auden’s “Funeral Blues,” Carolyn Forche’s “The Memory of Elena,” and Emily Dickinson’s “The last Night that She lived” are all poems which share death as their subject matter, but differ in the fact that they discuss death in a unique style with a variety of literary devices to make them more effective. Upon reading these poems, I could relate to each strongly on a personal level. Each poem expresses a different view of death and the different stages of acceptance and grieving. When I was younger, my grandmother passed away. I was quite fond of my grandmother and she and I had a close relationship.

You have to regulate your beliefs, as Dickinson concludes. The time after a death is when you must make yourself believe that person is really gone. Although Dickinson addresses death, one of her prevalent themes, in this poem, she does it very differently. This poem describes the death of a loved one and the grief that ensues, something that many people experience sometime in their life. In other poems when Dickinson speaks of death it is about her own death or Death as a figure who has its own personality because she was quite intrigued by it.

When looking at dissimilar observations of death it can be seen how private and special it is; it is also understood that death is inevitable so coping with it can be taken in different ways. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died” show both parallel and opposing views on death. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the speaker is explaining the passage of her own death from beyond the grave in a more tender way. In the beginning, the narrator is too busy for death-- “Because I could not stop for Death/ He kindly stopped for me” (Belasco 1338). The character is not going to wait for her life to end; rather the speaker will live life and allow death come to her naturally.

Reoccurring Theme of Death in the Poetry of Emily Dickinson There is a reoccurring theme of death in the poems of Emily Dickinson. This can be seen in poems such as “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”, “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died”, “My Life Has Stood A Loaded Gun,” “My Life Closed Twice Before It Closed,” “Heaven is What I Cannot Reach,” and “Death Sets A Thing Significant.” While some of Dickinson’s poems talk about death in an inviting and unafraid way others present the subject in tones of grief and sadness. Most of her poems that deal with death, depends on the continued life of the mind or at least up to the final moment. Dickinson also personifies death making it seem all the more real. To understand the poet’s fascination with

An Interpretation of Emily Dickinson's Poem I Felt a Funeral in My Brain Emily Dickinson was a reclusive individual that was rarely seen by anyone outside of her immediate family and few close friends. This solitude emerges in her poetry in the form of doom and gloom depictions. Dickinson seems to have a fascination with death as if death is a friendly character rather than a horrible image. It has been stated that Dickinson's obsession with death was a sign to others around her and her readers that she was struggling internally. In the poem "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain" Dickinson seems to be describing a delusion of a person that is contemplating what will happen to him/her when he/she dies.

A feeling that is upon one where they are almost in a n unresponsive state. Death or life isn't mentioned in this first stanza but, as the poem continues one can infer that Dickinson is talking about life. “great pain” describes the feeling when one looses a loved one. Dickinson also writes about a “formal feeling” or the feeling after the death that one feels for the rest of their lives, like being incomplete. Dickinson continues and writes “The Nerves sit ceremonious like Tombs-” This means the behavior one might practice at a funeral which would relate to “Nerves” sitting ceremoniously.

“She mentioned, and forgot—“, refers to her attempt to announce her farewell to everyone, which connects to the previous line’s announcement. The dashes fig... ... middle of paper ... ...e questions than before which cause the speaker’s confusion to increase. The speaker’s yearning for death shifts after the realization that it also creates problems because complications occur in life and death. The speaker started the poem by desiring the privilege of death through the use of similes, metaphors, and several other forms of language. As the events progress, the speaker gradually changes their mind because of the many complications that death evokes.

In read several articles about the concept of death to miss Dickinson; many people wanted to know why she has written many poems revolving the subject of death. Many reviewed Dickinson’s written poems of a way of spiritual finding, meaning of life, to express herself, and to be at peace. Many that review the life of Emily Dickinson talk about her poetry as something that she has published for the masses but many of her works were supposed to be burnt by her sister. Emily Dickinson's poems reveals that death is her principal subject; in fact, because the topic is related to many of her other concerns, it is difficult to say how many of her poems concentrate on death. But over half of them and about a third centrally, feature the subject of death.