Emily Dickinson's Poetry
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
Poetry uses many different literary elements to express ideas and themes. Emily Dickinson’s, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” captures the feelings of one whom is accepting death with open arms, while reminiscing on her journey through life. Dickinson’s life, as well as historical context plays a large role in influencing “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” Throughout her life she became increasingly isolated, as well as facing many circumstances surrounded by death and pain in which the effects of this came outward in her literary works. Dickinson’s use of a calm and comforting tone aids in conveying her theme that life is a journey. Dickinson expresses the theme in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” …show more content…
If Dickinson were to have used a tone of anger toward death, then her message would not have been that life is a journey, but that death is a menace. Instead, with death, the main character, “slowly drove – he [death] knew no haste” (Line 5). This one line creates the feeling that death is not evil, but at the end of life’s long journey, he allows one to welcome him after accomplishing so much. The main character is not angry with death that he is taking away her life, but accepting her life has been lived well and that it is her time. Dickinson uses tone to express how life is a journey by comforting one about death because it is not …show more content…
With her personification of death as “kindly,” Evans states this is a Christian belief “that death could be the door to an eternally happy life.” By showing how death “slowly drove,” Dickinson is “creating suspense” of what will come on the carriage ride. Evans comments on how Dickinson does not write of whether the “journey continues past the grave or whether the grave is indeed the final destination.” With this he is describing that the theme of Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” that life is a
Poetry uses many different literary elements to express ideas and themes. Emily Dickinson’s, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” captures the feelings of one whom is accepting death with open arms, while reminiscing on her journey through life. Dickinson’s life, as well as historical context plays a large role in influencing “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” Throughout her life she became increasingly isolated, as well as facing many circumstances surrounded by death and pain in which the effects of this came outward in her literary works. Dickinson’s use of a calm and comforting tone aids in conveying her theme that life is a journey. Dickinson expresses the theme in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” …show more content…
If Dickinson were to have used a tone of anger toward death, then her message would not have been that life is a journey, but that death is a menace. Instead, with death, the main character, “slowly drove – he [death] knew no haste” (Line 5). This one line creates the feeling that death is not evil, but at the end of life’s long journey, he allows one to welcome him after accomplishing so much. The main character is not angry with death that he is taking away her life, but accepting her life has been lived well and that it is her time. Dickinson uses tone to express how life is a journey by comforting one about death because it is not …show more content…
With her personification of death as “kindly,” Evans states this is a Christian belief “that death could be the door to an eternally happy life.” By showing how death “slowly drove,” Dickinson is “creating suspense” of what will come on the carriage ride. Evans comments on how Dickinson does not write of whether the “journey continues past the grave or whether the grave is indeed the final destination.” With this he is describing that the theme of Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” that life is a