"Because I could not stop for Death"
Death and immortality are some of the principal concerns of the poetry of Emily Dickinson. In contrast to the conventional interpretations of death, Dickinson views death as a courteous gentleman. In her poem "Because I could not stop for Death," she compares dying to a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, and savors the company of Death, who is personified as the coachman. As they travel around town, Dickinson recollects her childhood and her adulthood; they pause before a nearly buried house - buried by her memories and reminiscences. At last, the carriage brings her towards an eternity with death. Most people desire a lengthened existence of life, but Dickinson does not mind an eternity with death. She speaks of death with a blithe tone, trying to lighten the mood at this momentous instant of a person's life. Through her extended metaphor, she uses vivid imagery accompanied by her ironic tone to give the message that one should not fear death, but make the best of life. A metaphor is developed through the poem, as Dickinson compares her journey with Death to a voyage with a coachman. In the first stanza, she describes how the carriage "stopped for me" (2) to wait for her to get on. Her getting on the carriage is similar to one ly
Her optimistic descriptions of death influence people to rethink their tendency to link death with terror. A wintriness rushes upon her readers, suddenly realizing the presence of a menacing Death, rather than a courteous coachman. The use of kindly emphasizes that she sees death as a polite coachman, who courteously stops for all his riders. An image of a sudden tempest blowing against the poet appears, and the poet has only a light gown and a netted shawl to protect her from the grasp of death. In reality, death harshly takes away the lives of many people. Emily Dickinson has a bizarre view on death, since in this poem, she writes of death not with a fearful, but with an ironic tone. They pass a school, which symbolizes childhood; they pass the "Fields of Gazing Grain" (11), which signifies adulthood. She begins the poem with such a light-hearted attitude that immediately contrasts her view with the conventional dreadful view of death. While she passes her tomb, night also falls upon her. Finally, the poet leaves this world as the horses carry her to eternity. Another irony is set up in describing death and his ways with human life. These three lines create an image of a capsized house with her tombstone, which is the cornice, lying before the house. This scene creates an image of happy children, indulged in game playing, unaware of the transience of life. "The Carriage held but just Ourselves - / And Immortality" (3-4).
Common topics in this essay:
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Cornice Ground,
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,
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Acceptance Essays
