Figurative Language In Emily Dickinson's Because I Could Not Stop For Death

In Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Because I could not stop for Death,” she extensively uses figurative and connotative language to produce precise meaning in her poem. One example of figurative language she uses is personification, when she says, “Because I could not stop for/ Death,/ He kindly stopped for me;” (“Because I” 1-3). In this example, the author refers to Death as one would a person, by using the word “He”. When she speaks of Death, she speaks with positive connotation understood through the use of the word “kindly”, showing that there is a sense of ease between the subject and Death. This is a fresh way to convey the idea of death, because rather than viewing it as an unwanted event, she almost gives the notion that she looks forward to it since she thinks of it as a companion picking her up to take her on a leisurely, enjoyable journey.
In this example, the author draws a metaphor between the house and the “swelling of the ground”, which in reality refers to a grave (“Because I” 18-20). Although this is a quite unconventional way to describe a grave, the author’s description of Death itself is unconventional, resulting in this metaphor fitting well with the poem. Last but not least, the author also uses symbolism in the lines, “We passed the setting sun.” The “setting sun” portrays crossing over from regular life into the new realm of death, as it is symbolic of leaving the brightness of life and entering the darkness of death (“Because I” 17). Dickinson beautifully symbolizes the journey from life to death by means of this sunset. Sunsets are such a common occurrence in our daily lives, but Dickinson derives a profound meaning from them. Based on all these examples, the metaphor of the carriage shapes the meaning of this poem into death being a leisurely, comfortable