Because I could not stop for Death

Because I could not stop for Death

Because I could not stop for Death is a poem written by Emily Dickson to expresses her reflections and beliefs on Death. The poem focuses on different concepts of life one experiences after Death. Besides, the setting of the poem mirrors different circumstances in which Death appears and approaches compassionate and kind. Emily in his poem claims that, it’s only through the promises of immortality that fear is removed. Furthermore, through pledges, Death does not only become acceptable in society but also welcomed. Human beings feel that Death never comes at a suitable or convenient time.  When Emily Dickson said that Because I could not stop Death, she demonstrated a calm acceptance of Death in her poem.

Dickson, in the third stanza, demonstrates the superior knowledge she had of anaphora. Anaphora is another literary device Emily severally appeals in her works to describe the different landscapes during her journey with Death. Because I could not stop for Death makes it clear that Emily, at some point, vied Death as something gentle and sweet in her life. She welcomed Death in her life due to the idea that she will only be passing from her current life to somewhere better than where she is.

However, in the final stanza where Emily arrives at her final ‘House,’ ‘House’ is an exertion of the metaphor which is used to impose the grave. Conservatively, graves considered to be dim and gloomy, yet Emily claims to have arrived at her home. The metaphor is used in the final stanza to rationalize the ending of the entire poem so as not to interrupt the sense of relaxation and peace reflected on the other verses. However, the dashes help in breaking up the flow to create pauses providing moments for the audience to think. In conclusion, this poem used two different types of figurative languages which personification and alliteration. Additionally, the poem has two themes, which are Death and life.

Work Cited

Dickinson, Emily, and Susan Howe. Because I could not stop for Death. ProQuest LLC, 2004.