Currently, we live in a society that is engulfed and enlightened by death. Society enjoys the entertainment and the idea of the afterlife, and though this is seen through supernatural elements such as vampires and zombies; the idea of life after death is quite comforting. Death is defined as "the end of life: the time when someone or something dies". In Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death-"death is a prominent theme. Instead of Dickinson portraying death as something to be feared, she portrays death as a calming ride into another life; something that one should enjoy. Emily Dickinson's use of literary devices helps us explore her abnormal view of death. .
In "Because I could not stop for Death-"the speaker, speaks to us as a spirit reminiscing about the day she passed away. In the first stanza, the speaker is picked up in a carriage by death itself. The speaker describes death a gentleman who "kindly stopped for me-". Dickinson uses personification to make it appear as if death is a man. The tone is also, established as the speaker surprisingly seems tranquil as if she knew death was on its way. The speaker is then whisked into a chariot and begins her journey towards "immortality". The speaker does not view death as the end of her life but a continuation of it. .
In the second stanza, the speaker has become more comfortable with death; probably the result of his kindness as the speaker has "put away My labor and my leisure too For His Civility". The speaker no longer worries about the work she hasn't completed, her focus is solely on death, and she is pleased by him. The speaker has no unfinished business to attend to, and can freely move on with her life. .
In the third stanza, death is passing places that are familiar to the speaker, this can give the speaker a chance to say goodbye. Dickinson uses anaphora in the last two lines of this stanza, "We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain We passed the Setting Sun" this makes us aware of the moving carriage.
