Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop For Death

Because I Could Not Stop for Death - Analysis One of Emily Dickinson’s most famous poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death, consists of Emily summarizing her journey through life, from the afterlife. The poem embraces death and its eternity. She begins by personifying death as a person who takes her on ‘date’ in which her life is calmly retold. To begin, Emily receives a visit from Death. Death is not scary or forceful, instead she perceives him as a gentleman caller, who puts her at ease through the remainder of her trip. His graceful manner is due to her last trip, as critic Thomas H. Johnson highlighted, â€Å"Since she understands it to be a last ride, she of course expects it to be unhurried. Indeed, his graciousness in taking time to†¦show more content†¦As seen with her other poems regarding death, it is not a new topic to be written by Emily Dickinson. The structure of the poem is considered lyrical poetry and it is meant to convey the feelings i nside it. The rhythm of the pattern represents the sound of the rocking carriage mentioned at the beginning, â€Å"Because of its patterns of iambs (a non - stressed syllable and a stressed syllable), this line would be considered iambic tetrameter. Then, Dickinson’s following line of six syllables, which makes into three iambs, would be considered iambic trimeter.† Dickinson establishes her rhythm by keeping the 8 - 6 - 8 - 6 syllable pattern on each line. This rhythm is smooth and relaxing, as are the words and tone within it. The rhythm is crucial to keeping a calm tone, since it is very difficult to describe death as a good part of the journey through life. From a very young age, Emily experienced death from loved ones. When her second cousin and a close friend grew ill from typhus and died, Emily was traumatized. She later quoted, â€Å"it seemed to me I should die too if I could not be permitted to watch over her or even look at her face†. Her principal d ied as well in the early 1850s in which she later revealed to her friend the extent of her depression, â€Å"some of my friends are gone, and some of my friends are sleeping – sleeping the churchyard sleep – the hour of evening is sad – it was once my study hour – my master has gone to rest, and the open leaf of the book,Show MoreRelatedEmily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop For Death1249 Words   |  5 Pages Emily Dickinsons most famous work, Because I Could Not Stop for Death is generally considered to be one of the great masterpieces of American poetry (GALE). Dickinson experienced an emotional crisis of an undetermined nature in the early 1860s. Her traumatized state of mind is believed to have inspired her writing. In this particular poem, â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death,† the deceased narrator of the poem reminisces about that material day when Death came seeking for her. In stanza oneRead MoreEssay on Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death730 Words   |  3 PagesEmily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death Emily Dickinson’s â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† is a remarkable masterpiece that exercises thought between the known and the unknown. In Dickinson’s poem, â€Å"Because I could not stop Death,† there is much impression in the tone, in symbols and in the use of imagery that over flow with creativity. One might undoubtedly agree to an eerie, haunting, if not frightening, tone and use of symbolism in Dickinson’s poem. Dickinson usesRead More Emily Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop For Death Essay894 Words   |  4 PagesEmily Dickinson’s â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† is a remarkable masterpiece that exercises thought between the known and the unknown. Critics call Emily Dickinson’s poem a masterpiece with strange â€Å"haunting power.† In Dickinson’s poem, â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death,† there is much impression in the tone, in symbols, and in the use of imagery that exudes creativity. One might undoubtedly agree to an eerie, haunting, if not frightening, tone in Dickinson’s poem. Dickinson uses controllingRead More Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death Essays839 Words   |  4 PagesEmily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death In Emily Dickinson’s â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death â€Å" (448), the speaker of the poem is a woman who relates about a situation after her death. The speaker personifies death as a polite and considerate gentleman who takes her in a carriage for a romantic journey; however, at the end of this poem, she finishes her expedition realizing that she has died many years ago. The poem contains six quatrains, and does not follow any consistentRead MoreEmily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death Essay926 Words   |  4 Pages Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was a very talented poet. Her poems contained deep emotions and continue to amaze her readers. She was born in Amherst Massachusetts on December 10, 1830 to Attorney Edward Dickinson and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Her mother was very emotionally accessible. Dickinson was an energetic and outgoing child. She attended Amherst Academy and Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. Her father took her out of school after a year at Mount Holyoke because he thought she had enough educationRead More Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death803 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death In regard to Emily Dickinson’s poem, â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death,† Critic Eunice Glenn says: â€Å"In the first two lines Death, personified as a carriage driver, stops for one who could not stop for him. The word ‘kindly’ is particularly meaningful, for it instantly characterizes Death. This comes with surprise, too, since death is more often considered grim and terrible† (Glenn). Critic Charles R. Anderson says, â€Å"Death, usuallyRead More Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem, Because I could not stop for Death693 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem, Because I could not stop for Death The poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson expresses the speakers reflection on death. The poem focuses on the concept of life after death. This poems 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,Read More An Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem, Because I Could Not Stop for Death626 Words   |  3 PagesIn the poem â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† by Emily Dickinson refers to death as a gentlemen who unexpectedly visits Dickinson to take her on a journey â€Å"towards eternity† (I. 24). It is very ironic that she considers death as a gentleman, but as we all know it is the total opposite. On the second stanza they both start the slow and peaceful journey. â€Å"We slowly drove, he knew no haste† (I. 5). We can see the tranquility of the scene in which they are. Dickinson here understands the seriousnessRead MoreExplication of Emily Dickinsons Poem: Because I Could Not Stop for Death687 Words   |  3 PagesExplication of Because I could not stop for Death The poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson expresses the speakers reflection on death. The poem focuses on the concept of life after death. This poems 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 comesRead MoreUnderstanding Relationships in Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death and John Updikes Dogs Death1796 Words   |  7 PagesEmily Dickinsons Because I could not stop for death and John Updikes Dogs Death both trigger intense feelings in readers as a result of the concepts that they relate to. Through emphasizing feelings experienced by the main characters with regard to individuals they love, these two authors want readers to get a more complex understanding of relationships that develop between individuals who truly comprehe nd the importance of love. To a certain degree one might feel inclined to consider that