Emily Dickinson Death Comes Alive

Death Comes Alive

Aristotle, a famous Greek philosopher and scientist, once remarked, "Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history the particular." Indeed, poets have certainly not hesitated to analyze themes that lie outside the realm of ordinary matters. For example, some poets over the years have pondered death, a phenomenon that strikes fear and uncertainty into the hearts of many. In particular, unbelievers struggle with this concept because they suffer from uncertainty about its purpose and consequences. Christians, on the other hand, view death as a form of temporary loss that simply acts as a necessary step towards eternal life in heaven with Jesus Christ. By exploring the
Posing as a deceased woman looking back on her own passing, Dickinson metaphorically compares her death to a pleasant carriage ride through the countryside. In addition, the sonnet personifies death, comparing it to the genteel driver of the carriage that transports the speaker to her grave. By incorporating a soothing undertone throughout, Dickinson calmly communicates the reality that death acts as nothing but a temporary "sleep" to pass the time until Christ returns. Indeed, she offers a somewhat comforting description of her grave: "We paused before a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground" (Dickinson). Thus, the speaker literally equates the house with her "final resting place." Dickinson effectively softens the sorrow associated with death by gracefully reminding the reader that it simply serves as a peaceful transition to eternal life in heaven for those who
As another first person recollection of death, the poem details a seemingly normal scene of sorrowful friends and family silently surrounding a woman on her deathbed. However, a single peculiarity blatantly evidences itself. In the story of her own death, the speaker includes a disturbing memory of a noisy fly disrupting the peace preceding her passing. Immediately after describing this bothersome insect, Dickinson incorporates an eerie portrayal of her speaker's death: "And then the Windows failed - and then / I could not see to see" (Dickinson). By depicting a first person account of death, Dickinson attempts to provide some thought-provoking insight into the actual death