Poetry Analysis (Comaparison Between Because I Could Not Stop for Death & Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night)

Poetry Analysis #2
Nelly Boukoua
Because I could not stop for Death

Vocabulary Definitions

civility: politeness, courtesy gossamer: very fine and insubstantial tippet: (woman's apparel) a fur cape or woollen shawl tulle: sheer, fine material used to make veils cornice: top course which crowns a wall surmised (to surmise): to suppose without any evidence These words add a certain calmness to the poem. It seem as if the speaker fancies Death because she uses delicate words such as the ones stated above. When we think of Death and how it would be described, we often think of horror, evil, and bad things in general. Yet in this poem, Emily Dickinson actually talks of death as her friend or latest acquaintance. These words give a different feeling or even meaning to death in general. The reader can now have a different perception and might be open to the not so horrible version of mortality. In this poem, the figure of death is personified as a friend, and a gentleman. Here, death is not there to hurt the narrator. This is shown through her own words as she explains the actions of Death-- him “kindly” stopping for her and “his civility” . It is like an act of courtesy that Death picked her up in a carriage because she could not get to him. This might even resemble the outline of a date. In addition, during the carriage ride the author tells us that Death “knew no haste” when he was driving. This means that he is also considerate and cares about letting the speaker take in the all the peacefulness and calmness of her journey.

There are two contrasting views of death one can notice in this poem. We first see death as a kind and nice person, which makes us think of him as a gentleman who only wants to make his lady happy. Then in the second stanza the orthodox vision of death comes in and shifts the reader's thoughts a little. For instance, “ The dews [drawing] quivering and chill”, the speaker's gossamer gown, and her frail clothing give a cold and sinister aspect to the stanza which is different from the rest of the poem.
Based on this poem, I would consider Dickinson an optimistic and not a pessimist. The reason why I say this is because even though she speaks of death in a manner that seems as though she likes the idea, she does not see it as a bad thing. This is as optimistic as it gets for me; when someone is able to personify death-- the worst thing to some-- as a friend or even a date. Dickinson's character does not fear mortality but rather embraces it as a path to another life that has no end to it.
In this poem, although there is rhythm, there are no regular rhymes. The fact that there are no constructed rhymes gives this piece a sense of freedom. I say freedom because the story is not bound by the occasional prison that is rhyming. In fact, sometimes when one write a poem and tries desperately to make it rhyme, they hit a road block and have to find the right words, which can be hard at times. Because of this, the poem may lose some of its essence as the word flow and sense may be lost due to the lack of better similar sounds. I find that Dickinson's writing style is absolutely appropriate for the the theme of letting go and being free from all the hardships of life. The rhythm is suiting as well because it has a gentle and moderate pattern to it and its flow is practically seamless. The composed rhythm matches the composure of the speaker in the face of death.

I don't think that this poem could have been written better in Free Verse because if it lacked rhythm, I really don't think it would have been better for the reader to understand. In fact, the placement and streaming of the words can often make a significant difference in the meaning of something. For instance, if someone were to take a line and place its last word in the next line by itself, it could shift the emphasis, therefore changing the way the text is perceived. In my opinion, the poem is great the way it is and changing it to a complete Free Verse would not be an advantage.

Emily Dickinson and Dylan Thomas' view of death could not be any more different. In this poem, Dickinson shows us a death that is soft and gentle. She does this by personifying it and using capitalization. The use of the capital in “Death” gives it a name, changing this usually disliked aspect of life into a person-- a kind man. He then becomes a companion to Dickinson and accompanies her through town, until they get to a “house that seemed/ A swelling of the ground ”. The reader then understands that this is her grave. The use of this metaphor suggests that this death was not abrupt, nor evil, nor an enemy but a kind place to rest and a friend. Dickinson also mentions that Death “kindly stopped” for her as she could not stop for him. The interaction between the two suggests that there is a human connection between a man and a woman and therefore death assumes a familiar and recognizable figure.
Dylan Thomas on the other hand, does not use personification but a metaphor as a way to approach death. Because he refers to death as only “that good night”, it leaves room for imagination which means that death becomes something unknown and-- in contrary to Dickinson's portrayal-- an unfamiliarity to the reader. In Thomas’s eyes, we should fear death and fight against it. Meanwhile, Dickinson's message is different, she thinks we should accept it. She does want us to “go gentle into that good night” because she believes there is no point in “[raging] against the dying of the light”. To her we should come to terms with the ending of our time because it is inevitable, and to rebel against that would be senseless.
Although these poems have many differences, the poets view one thing in common when it comes to death: its inevitability. In Because I could not stop for Death, death is not something that can be avoided. In fact, we can't decide when or how it comes upon us. This is the same in Thomas' Do not go gentle into that good night. Although he wants his father not to give up so easily, he knows it is inevitable and that sooner or later it'll have to be dealt with.
In my opinion, Thomas' message is much more effective because I think the emotion is more powerful. At every stanza, he reminds his father not to go into “that good night”, and with every analogy he makes he tells him to “rage against the dying of the light” and to fight. This emotion of desperation is more relatable to readers because more often then not, when a close one is dying, we tend to tell them to fight a little more for life. The majority of people don't want to accept the death of their loved ones which is why I think Thomas' raw, emotional message is better translated and understood than Dickinson's dispassionate outlook on death.

Sources:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110917125637AAzyMr5

http://www.gradesaver.com/emily-dickinsons-collected-poems/study-guide/section1/

http://www.shmoop.com/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death/

http://www.wordreference.com/

http://www.enotes.com/because-could-not-stop-for-death/q-and-a/how-would-you-compare-contrast-because-could-not-280654