Poems are recognized for using numerous types of elements to build a certain character or interpretation. The theme of death and a feeling of suspense is portrayed between "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone" and "Because I could not stop for Death" due to the use of the authors tone, imagery, and personification throughout the poems.
W.H. Auden and Emily Dickinson utilize a distinct tone that is noticeable by simply looking at the titles "Because I could not stop for Death" and "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone." Auden is shaping a sorrowful tone by titling the poem "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone" in a matter of letting the reader when someone passes away that silence is of the essence. On the contrary, Dickinson shapes a suspenseful atmosphere for the reader because death usually does not randomly stop for anyone; it is an immediate natural process. "Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, silence the pianos and with muffled drum" (Auden 2-3) gives the reader the sorrowful tone the author is trying to inflict by muting everything out. "Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me" (Dickinson 1-2) gives the reader the suspenseful thought of how death could have stopped for her. Throughout the readings different words are used to shape the tone of the poems to lead into the theme of death. Words used by both authors in both poems include "mourners," "dead," "death," "immortality," and "coffin." These words give the reader a clear perspective of what the poems are about without them being explained. In "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone" the speaker says, "I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong" (Auden 12). This helps portray death in a sad way, helping the reader understand that death can happen to anyone.
