(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson

             Poetry can be used to address a variety of topics from life and happiness to social injustice. Even death is not a forbidden arena. Death is promised to all but the time and place of its occurrence remains unknown. In the Emily Dickinson poems "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "I Heard a Fly Buzz-When I Died" one of life's greatest certainties is addressed through the use of structure, diction and syntax. The poems are equally effective in their treatment of this topic because one, without the other, does not yield the same impact but together the poems cause the reader to develop a personal viewpoint about life after death.
             On the literal level death is viewed as a woman's last journey towards eternity. The use of the woman in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" helps to reduce the fear associated with death. It is no longer viewed as an ominous threat but instead becomes a familiar character and therefore is brought down to a more personal level. This is different from the stereotypical view that death will be cruel and unyielding. Through the use of the adverb such as "kindly" (Kennedy 385) Dickinson makes death seem passive and unobtrusive. The primary theme of the poem is that death is a natural portion of life's journey but at the same time giving comfort that it is not the end of a soul's travel.
             The reader can also recognize the poem's theme by analyzing its structure and the impact of the structure upon the interpretation of the chosen words. The poem is divided into five stanzas all of which have four lines. The identical formation of each stanza makes the poem easy to read. However the easiness associated with this structure can be misleading as Dickinson speaks on death which is usually a hard subject. "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" starts to gives the reader a feeling of progression towards eternity throughout the description in the second and third stanzas.


Essays Related to Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson

1. Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson

In her poem, "Because I could not stop for Death"," Emily Dickinson used an extended metaphor of death to describe her personal view on the subject. ... In her first personification, she states that Death "kindly stopped for [her]" (2) to establish Death's noble character and to show that she does not view death as an atrocious entity. ... Death's courtesy and considerateness to his passenger shows that dying is not as terrible as people perceive; rather, it is a peaceful process, according to Dickinson. ... Additionally, there is a shift from "we"" to "he"" (5) in this phrase becaus...

  • Word Count: 502
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Because I Could Not Stop for Death

In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," she uses various types of figurative language and imagery (personification, metaphor, and symbol) to portray the idea that death is not a dreadful event, but actually a pleasant experience. Emily Dickinson uses personification, giving human like qualities to an object or idea. ... "He kindly stopped for me-" is ironic because it shows she would rather not go, but since he is a kind, polite man she will go. ... The speaker suddenly feels death upon her because she feels her body become chilled. Emily Dickinson uses a f...

  • Word Count: 541
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Because I Could Not Stop For Death Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" is a good poem that involves thoughts of life and death. ... In the poem Because I Could Not Stop For Death, there is much feeling in the way the poem is read, in signs, and in the use of imagery. One might agree to the eerie, haunting, if not scary, tone in this Dickinson's poem. ... Eternity and death are two important characteristics in Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death." ... Dickinson believed in an eternity after death. ...

  • Word Count: 533
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Comparing The NightWind & Because I could not stop for Death

Emily Bronte and Emily Dickinson's strong uses of personification contribute immensely to the enjoyment of their poetry. ... While the wind in "The Night-Wind- is enticing and death in "Because I could not stop for Death- is guiding, the poets are relaying the same message of seize the day. ... Have I not loved thee long?... In the second poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death-, Emily Dickinson personifies deaths role as a calm and patient gentleman. ... The personification in Emily Dickinson's poem, "Because I could not stop for Death- is so vivid the reader is able to form a ...

  • Word Count: 640
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Death And Emily Dickinson A

Poems such as "Safe in their Alabaster Chambers-, "Because I could not stop for Death-, and "I heard a Fly buzz-when I died- remain as some of the greatest poems of our time. ... In "Because I could not stop for Death- Dickinson delves into the mystery of Death even further searching for answers. ... "Because I could not stop for Death-- He kindly stopped for me-- We slowly drove - He knew no haste - The words "kindly- and "slowly- are used to delineate the Dickinson's view of Death and his characteristics. ... Emily Dickinson's fascination with one of life's few certainties, ...

  • Word Count: 1316
  • Approx Pages: 5

6. Because I could not stop for death

Symbolism in "Because I could not stop for Death" "Because I could not stop for death" by Emily Dickinson, is a poem that you really have to read deep into to get any meaning of it. ... Dickinson often uses dashes in her writing, as if she is not finished with the sentence. ... Dickinson is comparing death to a suitor who is calling on a Lady. In the first two lines, Death, is compared to a carriage driver, that stops for one who could not stop for him. ... This comes as a shock to most readers because normally people think as death as grim and terrible. ...

  • Word Count: 692
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. emily dickinson

Emily Dickinson's poems "Because I Could Not Stop for Death", "I Heard A Fly Buzz-When I Died", and "I Felt A Funeral In My Brain" all deal with one of life's few certainties, death. ... "Because I could Not Stop for Death" is one of Emily Dickinson's most discussed and famous poems due to its ambiguous, and unique view on the popular subject of death. ... "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" starts to gives the reader a feeling of forward movement throughout the second and third quatrain. ... This is the complete opposite belief about afterlife in Dickinson's other...

  • Word Count: 1472
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Because i could not stop4Death

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. ... "I Could Not Stop for Death" gives the reader a feeling of forward movement through the second and third quatrain. ... The first image that the reader sees is that of a carriage picking up the speaker, which is depicted in lines 1 and 2 as Dickinson writes, "Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly stopped for me." ... "I Could Not Stop for D...

  • Word Count: 2040
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Emily Dickinson

This is especially true for Emily Dickinson's poem entitled "Because I could not stop for Death-," which is one of her best-known controversial poems. ... While reading the Emily Dickinson poem "Because I could not stop for Death-," a younger reader might not understand the type of terminology used in the writing. ... "Because I could not stop for Death-," like many others she wrote, seems to concerns the issue of mortality and what lies beyond death. ... The Hindu's would have also taken issue with the fact that Emily Dickinson states "And I had to put away, My labor and my leisu...

  • Word Count: 1231
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question