- Emily Dickinson ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ analysis

| A brief analysis | Emily Dickinson | Because I could not stop for Death |

Emily Dickinson is an American poet of the nineteenth-century New England. She is now regarded as one of the greatest American poets of all time. It was only in the 1930s when scholars and critics began to read her poetry as literary texts. Her poetry had been debated curiously about her extremely introverted character and the exceptionally eventless life. Readers tried to find out relations between the contents of her poems and her factual life, since she was regarded as a discreet poetess, who wrote confessional poems not intending to publish them during her life.

‘Because I could not stop for death’ is one of many poems related to the death theme. The central theme of this poem is the interpretation of mortal experience from the standpoint of immortality. The poet uses these abstractions – mortality, immortality, and eternity. As it can be demonstrated through the lines analyzed from the poem below.

                                    Because I could or stop for Death –

-       The speaker gives some sort of explanation: ‘because […]’;

-       Explanation for an argument or question;

-       This line shows that the speaker did not have a choice, that it is not up to us to have one;

-       ‘Death’ as a gentleman, a suitor.

-        

                                    He kindly stopped for me –

-       As a calm acceptance of death.

                                    The Carriage held but just Ourselves – an Immortality

-       Emphasizes the words ‘Carriage’, ‘Ourselves’ and ‘Immortality’ by the usage of capital letters;

-       ‘Carriage’ as the speaker death transportation;

-       ‘Ourselves’: her and Death;

-       Death as not the end but as the step on the way to ‘Immortality’ – eternal life.

                                    We slowly drove – he knew no haste

-       They were not in a hurry;

-       Death did not speed or hurry;

-       Notion of suspense: What will happen next?

                                    And I put away

                                    My labor and my leisure too,

                                    For his civility –

-       She gave up: work and free time;

-     She feels some sort of ‘happiness’ as she is impressed by Death manners.

                                    We passed the school, where children strove

                                    At recess – in the ring –

-       They are riding by the scenario (her life?);

-       Ordinary part of life.

                                    We passed the field of gazing grain –

                                    We passed the setting sun

-       The end of the day, the end of life;

-       The carriage keeps moving forward.

                                    Or rather – he passed us –

-       The sun falls below the horizon;

-       As the warmth, the light leaving her.

                                    The Dews drew quivering and chill

                                    For only Gossamer, my gown

                                    My Tippet – only Tulle –

-         Gossamer: very thin, delicate fabric;

-         Tippet: shoulder cape;

-   She is feeling chilly because she was not dressed appropriately; 

-       Under-dressed as under prepared

                                    We paused before a House that seemed

                                    A swelling of the Ground –

-       The burial place;

-       The second home;

-       ‘House’ as her final resting place.

                                    The Roof was scarcely visible –

                                    The Cornice – in the Ground

-       Cornice as pointed part of the roof.

                                    Since then – ‘tis Centuries – and yet

                                    Feels shorter than the Day

-       Events happened a really time ago;

-       She is already dead;

-       It feels like ‘just yesterday’;

-       Like a vivid memory.

                                    I first surmised the Horse’s heads

                                    Were toward Eternity –

-       Horses as her journey to the afterlife;

-       Death as not the end but just one step closer to ‘Eternity’.

Reference

JOHNSON, H. Thomas.  The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson.  Toronto: Little Brown, 1960.