Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop...

Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop for Death In regard to Emily Dickinson’s poem, â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death,† Critic Eunice Glenn says: â€Å"In the first two lines Death, personified as a carriage driver, stops for one who could not stop for him. The word ‘kindly’ is particularly meaningful, for it instantly characterizes Death. This comes with surprise, too, since death is more often considered grim and terrible† (Glenn). Critic Charles R. Anderson says, â€Å"Death, usually rude, sudden, and impersonal, has been transformed into a kindly and leisurely gentleman† (Anderson). Both critics seem to agree on the significance of the word â€Å"kindly† in the first two lines of the poem. â€Å"Because I could†¦show more content†¦Critic Patricia Engle, on the other hand, looks further and asks, â€Å"What does the speaker—or anyone—stop doing for Death?† Answering her own question, Engle says: â€Å"We stop living.† In order to illustrate her point, she goes on to say, in reference to the speaker of the poem, â€Å"She realizes that she cannot recognize Death’s power over her. Once she reckons with that eternal or divine bent within her, Death stops; that is, Death ceases to be what Death is—an end† (Engle 74). Given deeper analysis of the poem as a whole, this interpretation appears to be the most accurate. Death is not the final stopping point for our speaker. The carriage only â€Å"paused† at the grave (17). â€Å"The Horses’ Heads / Were toward Eternity—â €  (23-24). The poem suggests that death was not meant to be an end—human existence will go on for eternity. This accounts for the third, often overlooked, passenger in the carriage—â€Å"Immortality† (4). Mortals don’t stop for death—death stops for them. Death gives way to immortality, and thus, stops being an end. Even if she had wanted to, the speaker could not have stopped for Death. The grave is merely a brief pause on the journey toward Eternity. Dickinson had a definite purpose when she chose to personify death as a carriage driver. According to the Handbook of Literary Terms, â€Å"PersonificationShow MoreRelated Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem, Because I could not stop for Death693 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem, Because I could not stop for Death The poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson expresses the speakers reflection on death. The poem focuses on the concept of life after death. This poems setting mirrors the circumstances by which death approaches, and death appears kind and compassionate. It is through the promise of immortality that fear is removed, and death not only becomes acceptable, but welcomed as well. As human beings,Read More An Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem, Because I Could Not Stop for Death626 Words   |  3 PagesIn the poem â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† by Emily Dickinson refers to death as a gentlemen who unexpectedly visits Dickinson to take her on a journey â€Å"towards eternity† (I. 24). It is very ironic that she considers death as a gentleman, but as we all know it is the total opposite. On the second stanza they both start the slow and peaceful journey. â€Å"We slowly drove, he knew no haste† (I. 5). We can see the tranquility of the scene in which they are. Dickinson here understands the seriousnessRead MoreEmily Dickinson s `` Because I Could Not Stop For Death `` Essay1355 Words   |  6 PagesModernism for Emily Dickinson has to do with the uncertainty. 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