Differences b/w 2 Emily Dickinson Poems
Thomas H. Johnson calls Death "one of the great characters of literature." But exactly what kind of person is he? Emily Dickinson often personifies Death in her poetry. In "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died" death is perceived in contradictory ways. How Dickinson expresses Death's mission will make the reader question if he is friend or foe. "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" leaves the reader with a serene feeling towards death and the afterlife. In the poem, Death gracefully carries the speaker in his carriage slowly and peacefully through time. It is ironic that Dickinson
As seen by analyzing and interpreting these two poems, the reader gains a better understanding of how Dickinson wants us to perceive Death. This leaves the reader with an uncertain view on the afterlife. The poem has a certain calm and tranquil feeling to it that makes the reader think of death in a different way than one usually would. Is he a gentleman or is he a betrayer? Is there an afterlife or isn't there?. However, the buzzing fly blocks her view of where she is heading and the light that was once there is now gone. "I Heard a Fly Buzz when I Died" does not give the reader the same serene feeling toward death and the afterlife. In stanza two, Dickinson writes:We slowly drove, he knew no haste,And I had put awayMy labor, and my leisure too,For his civility. The word "light" in this stanza can be associated with some heavenly existence or higher power that awaits the speaker. Because Death politely escorts the speaker to her eternity, the reader assumes that the afterlife awaiting her is a pleasant one. Though the poem deals with what may await us after death, the reader is still left wondering if anything does await them in the afterlife since no afterlife is reached in the poem. The speaker respects Death throughout the journey and for the fact that he is not hurrying to arrive at their destination. In the poem's final stanza, Dickinson says: With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz,Between the light and me; And then the windows failed, and thenI could not see to see. writes of Death's civility and politeness when one would think of Death as arrogant and rude. Death is usually linked with thoughts of violence and rage, not with a tranquil ride in a carriage.
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