Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Death Revealed
In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death" the main emphasis seems to be the acceptance of Death. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) gives reference to the theme by using "death" in the first line. The poem is unique and interesting because she presents Death in a different way by referring to it as an escort taking her on a journey towards eternity rather than making it seem like something frightening. Each stanza of the poem breaks down the journey through the stages of her life that leads to the end where the speaker reaches eternity and she finally realizes that she is no longer living. In the fifth stanza when she refers to the coffin as her "house" gives the impression that she's comfortable with death and not afraid. Death is seen as something that's a natural part of life that you don't have to be scared to face. Many critics may agree that Death is the important subject of the poem, but they each have their own view of how this theme is interpreted.
In a critical analysis by Allen Tate he says that "the content of death in the poem eludes forever any explicit definition" (Tate 76-119). He believes that that this is one the greatest poems within the English language because it's flawless. Each image is precise and fuses with the central idea which in this particular poem is death. An example of her power to fuse into a single order of perception is in the third stanza where she refers to the children, the grain, and the setting sun (Tate 76-119). Tate speaks of the poem's "subtly interfused erotic motive, which the idea of death has presented to most romantic poets, love being a symbol interchangeable with death" (Tate 76-119). "Because I could not stop for Death," Tate calls attention to the startling irony of presenting Death, an embodiment of terror, as a gentleman, and even more ironically as the servant of Immortality (Tate 76-119).
In "Because I could not stop for Death," the poet personifies death, making him a real
In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death" the main emphasis seems to be the acceptance of Death. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) gives reference to the theme by using "death" in the first line. The poem is unique and interesting because she presents Death in a different way by referring to it as an escort taking her on a journey towards eternity rather than making it seem like something frightening. Each stanza of the poem breaks down the journey through the stages of her life that leads to the end where the speaker reaches eternity and she finally realizes that she is no longer living. In the fifth stanza when she refers to the coffin as her "house" gives the impression that she's comfortable with death and not afraid. Death is seen as something that's a natural part of life that you don't have to be scared to face. Many critics may agree that Death is the important subject of the poem, but they each have their own view of how this theme is interpreted.
In a critical analysis by Allen Tate he says that "the content of death in the poem eludes forever any explicit definition" (Tate 76-119). He believes that that this is one the greatest poems within the English language because it's flawless. Each image is precise and fuses with the central idea which in this particular poem is death. An example of her power to fuse into a single order of perception is in the third stanza where she refers to the children, the grain, and the setting sun (Tate 76-119). Tate speaks of the poem's "subtly interfused erotic motive, which the idea of death has presented to most romantic poets, love being a symbol interchangeable with death" (Tate 76-119). "Because I could not stop for Death," Tate calls attention to the startling irony of presenting Death, an embodiment of terror, as a gentleman, and even more ironically as the servant of Immortality (Tate 76-119).
In "Because I could not stop for Death," the poet personifies death, making him a real