Emily Dickinson"Because I Could Not Stop for Death"
Anonymous December 3, 2012
F.Clancy
Eng 1102
Emily Dickinson poem analysis and critique
"Because I Could Not Stop For Death," is a grim and very well written poem by Emily Dickinson. Her views can be seen throughout several of her works in which all express the same thing; death, but are all expressed in different ways. In that regard the readers can indicate that death has affected the author in her personal life in some way shape or form. “Because I could not stop for death” is a poem of a woman who is being escorted on a carriage to the afterlife by the reaper himself for eternity. From the beginning, it can be seen that Emily Dickinson has personified death itself. Throughout the whole entire first stanza Death can be seen as a courteous character “he kindly stopped for me-”(line 2). His courtesy is greatly exhibited in the second stanza where Death takes away all of the woman’s labor and leisure for the sake of the carriage ride “And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too,/For His Civility”(lines 6-8). As the poem progresses, Death takes the woman to countless places which are described by her in repetitive form as seen in the third stanza
“We passed the school, where Children strove at Recess—in the Ring— We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain— We passed the Setting Sun—“ (lines 9-12). The repetition within these passages indicates a tedious and mundane routine the woman may have faced within her childhood. It could also be Emily Dickinson expressing her thoughts and opinions within the poem as she emphasizes on certain words such as “labor”, “leisure” and “we passed” several times. It is even possible that the author’s own views on these things are being reflected off this poem because of how often certain words are expressed to the readers. In the midst of their journey, Death and the woman pause and take a
F.Clancy
Eng 1102
Emily Dickinson poem analysis and critique
"Because I Could Not Stop For Death," is a grim and very well written poem by Emily Dickinson. Her views can be seen throughout several of her works in which all express the same thing; death, but are all expressed in different ways. In that regard the readers can indicate that death has affected the author in her personal life in some way shape or form. “Because I could not stop for death” is a poem of a woman who is being escorted on a carriage to the afterlife by the reaper himself for eternity. From the beginning, it can be seen that Emily Dickinson has personified death itself. Throughout the whole entire first stanza Death can be seen as a courteous character “he kindly stopped for me-”(line 2). His courtesy is greatly exhibited in the second stanza where Death takes away all of the woman’s labor and leisure for the sake of the carriage ride “And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too,/For His Civility”(lines 6-8). As the poem progresses, Death takes the woman to countless places which are described by her in repetitive form as seen in the third stanza
“We passed the school, where Children strove at Recess—in the Ring— We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain— We passed the Setting Sun—“ (lines 9-12). The repetition within these passages indicates a tedious and mundane routine the woman may have faced within her childhood. It could also be Emily Dickinson expressing her thoughts and opinions within the poem as she emphasizes on certain words such as “labor”, “leisure” and “we passed” several times. It is even possible that the author’s own views on these things are being reflected off this poem because of how often certain words are expressed to the readers. In the midst of their journey, Death and the woman pause and take a