Abstract
This document provides an in-depth analysis of Emily Dickinson's poem 'Because Death could not stop', exploring its themes, structure, and unique perspective on death. Written in the first person, the poem is a journey of the narrator's encounter with Death, raising questions about the nature of mortality and the human experience. A must-read for literature enthusiasts and those interested in exploring the complexities of death and immortality.
Extract
[...] To conclude, we can state that in her poem Because Death could not stop, Emily Dickinson is painting her vision of perishing, through the metaphor of a journey. With hindsight, this poem can make the reader feel a little bit uncomfortable: one hand the tone of calm and quiet used reflects peace and serenity, but, on the other hand, it is a little bit worrying to have this attitude towards death, which is something dreaded. There are a lot of artists who depicted Death as a journey in books, movies, paintings, thus it might be interesting to compare the work of Dickinson with what her peers have been doing, at the same period of time or in different eras. [...]
[...] The fatality aspect is once again visible: there is no question, no doubt, just an acceptance of the happening. We feel a sort of connexion between the narrator and the character of Death: as if they knew each other for a long time, there is no need to talk in the presence of the other, they feel comfortable with each other; or, to be more specific, the writer feels comfortable as Death itself could not feel uncomfortable: it is fulfilling a duty, its reason to exist and to be at that place at that time. [...]
[...] In this poem, Dickinson gets round the punctuation in general: in the whole poem, only one point, moreover, at the end: it feels like the first paragraph was an introduction to the following story. On the other hand, there is a wide use of capital letters, as each and every item of the poem is an important element of what is happening here. The tone of the poem reflects the general state of mind of its writer, and its perception and relation to death: very calm and peaceful, there is a feeling of fatality: what will be will be, and better accept it than fight it in vain. [...]
[...] At the end, we can establish that Emily Dickinson has a very unique relationship with Death: when most people fear it and try to avoid it, she is at peace and we can feel a really deep respect. The poem is written in prose, which was not very common at the end of the 19th century. The general structure, at first look, looks classic: six strophes, four verses each, however we do not find the rhymes that we are used to encounter in American poetry at this time. [...]
[...] Apart from her writing, she is also known as having a very reclusive life, with little social contact. At this time, it was not so common for a woman to be a writer, which stands her out even more. Because Death could not stop is Emily's Dickinson's most famous poem. She here gives a very unique view on Death, the way she sees it, and personifies it. Because Death could not stop what it started, is Emily's Dickinson's most famous poem. [...]
