“The Going” by Thomas Hardy initially appears as a poem regarding the death of a woman that was close to the speaker. The speaker is evidently distraught throughout the poem as he tries to understand the death of the woman by continually asking the dead questions. When we examine the poem closer, specifically through the language and structure of the poem, it appears as if the speaker is searching for an explanation behind the woman’s death, and perhaps an answer for death as a whole. Ultimately, the poem serves as a way to question death’s significance and also acts as an analysis of the speaker’s relationship with death as he tries to accept the death of a close individual in his life; he eventually comes to the conclusion that there is no answer or explanation to death. The poem begins with the speaker asking an unseen person “why.” He questions “Why did you give no hint that night” (1), leading us to believe that the speaker is resentful about the woman’s death due to him questioning her and suggesting that she was aware that she would pass that night. The vernacular in this line implies the speaker is very clearly surprised by this death and that he is searching for answers because he begins by asking a question, telling the dead she gave “no hint,” and he also mentions that it was “quick.” It is clear that the death was unexpected and rattled the speaker due to him questioning the deceased. However, the speaker is questioning someone who is not present, so the audience can assume he is questioning the deceased. By doing this, the poet seems slightly accusatory because there is no response to his remarks. Each time he asks the question of why, the speaker is left to his own thoughts and has to continue to wonder why for himself; he searches for the truth from the dead which also illustrates their closeness due to the fact he is looking for the truth of the situation from the deceased. Instead, the reader is left with a feeling that the deceased is at blame somehow for their own death. Similarly, the speaker’s use of “you” does not force the speaker to question why they did not notice the deceased’s state of being before they died. We can interpret this questioning as a shift of guilt onto the dead’s
Some of the poems Emily Dickinson wrote, usually offered many different views of death that involve physical and emotional responses of the soul and body’s journey through nothingness, madness and even eternity. The greatness in her poems comes from the use of literary devices to give meaning to death and the different interpretations of the journey through death. Although Dickinson presents contradicting thoughts sometimes, it is clear that she believes that there are many types of deaths in a human being’s life. This paper compares and contrasts the theme of death in Dickinson’s three poems titled “I heard a fly buzz”, "Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “After great pain a Formal Feeling Comes”.
Death is something that at some point will come to each of us and has been explored in many forms of literature. “The Raven” and “Incident in a Rose Garden” are two poems that explore common beliefs and misconceptions about death. Though both poems differ in setting, tone, and mood there are surprising similarities in the literary tools they use and in the messages they attempt to convey. The setting and mood establish the tone and feel of a poem. In “The Raven” we are launched into a bleak and dreary winters night where a depressed narrator pines for his dead girlfriend.
Two literary pieces, “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by, Dylan Thomas and “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by, Emily Dickinson are both poems that discuss the topic of death. While there are some similarities and comparisons between the two poems, when it comes to the themes, both poets writing styles are quite different from one another which makes each poem unique. Thomas and Dickinson both use identical figurative language devices and other literature symbolisms as they explain their main themes which contrasts the differences to the concept of death. These distinct variations between poems are apparent in both the form, and how the choice of words is used in the poems. Both of the authors have presented two very different ideas on death. The poems are well distinguished literature devices, they share minor similarities and differences between each other and how they present the meaning of death to a toll.
Death is a controversial and sensitive subject. When discussing death, several questions come to mind about what happens in our afterlife, such as: where do you go and what do you see? Emily Dickinson is a poet who explores her curiosity of death and the afterlife through her creative writing ability. She displays different views on death by writing two contrasting poems: one of a softer side and another of a more ridged and scary side. When looking at dissimilar observations of death it can be seen how private and special it is; it is also understood that death is inevitable so coping with it can be taken in different ways. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died” show both
The narrator questions at the end of the poem “how could Arthur go?” (50). Even though she is confused by death, she is still afraid of it. Bishop’s poem is unique in a sense that it is written through the point of view of a small child. Furthermore, the child is experiencing a life changing and painful concept for the first time. The child’s innocence is shown by her response to death. By finding distractions through comparisons, word choices, and even a stuffed loon in response to the inability to comprehend the painful concept of death is the theme Bishop was trying to portray. She also touches on the idea that trying to comprehend the finality of death, takes a toll on some
In Patricia Engle’s review of Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”, Engle argues that Dickinson’s poem employs Death as a lover who takes whomever is reading the poem to “heaven”, if you will. She also posits the idea that our eventual death is just a state of mind and we do not all follow the same path to reach Death. The poem, at its core, is about the visceral fear of Death and not wanting to die. I disagree with Engle’s assessment. Engle’s take on Dickinson’s poem is an inaccurate one because it explains that Dickinson does not seem to be afraid of death, that Dickinson is very spiritually aware and even accepting of her eventual fate, and that Dickinson, or the speaker of the poem, has accepted death so he has “stopped” for her.
LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills: McCoy declined last year in Philadelphia. He was the No. 13 running back last year, as opposed to his usual top 10 status. Earlier this year he was sent off to Buffalo, and he was unhappy about it. Fantasy owners should be too. The Bills as a team finished 25th in rushing yards, and 27th in rushing touchdowns. They have a good defense, but that may not be enough to keep them ahead in most games. We all know that when a team is down late in the game they go to the air. McCoy may improve the Bills rushing totals, but the Bills are just a step away from having both a great offense and defense. If I felt the Bills would win most games, I would rank Shady higher.
In Robert Pack’s poem “To an Empty Page”, the narrator is uncertain about what comes with death. He worries about his future and what may happen to him. As he asks questions into the emptiness, he finds answers in the echoes of his voice. Robert Pack uses literary devices such as rhetorical questions, selection of detail, metaphors, and juxtaposition to construct the meaning of his poem.
Death is the concern in of both Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle into That Goodnight,” and Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”. Moreover, while these two poets use similar themes in their works, the execution and tone of their respective pieces could not be more antithetical. More to the point, Thomas’ poem paints death and oblivion as something deserving of fear and dread, and even though dying is an immutable fact in our world, man will always feel the need to have, “Rage, Rage against the dying of the light”. However, Dickinson does not let the fear of death consume her, so much so, that in her poem she embraces death as nothing less than a gentleman, who in her own words “kindly stopped for me”. At the end of it all, Dylan Thomas’ poem is a loud boisterous proclamation about the desperation of man to hold on to life and to leave something behind but ultimately realizing they cannot, while Dickinson’s is a quiet reflection about the cyclical nature of life and death and the peace the end brings.
Emily Dickinson is considered to be one of the greatest poets of figurative language and imagery. I found her poem “Because I could Not Stop for Death” to be an exemplary illustration of those forms of writing. Enlaced with the personifications of Death, Immortality, and Eternity; Dickinson reaches into the depths of the reader’s psyche and transports them on a journey into her world of life after death. In this essay, I will attempt to show that due to certain event that occurred towards the end of her life that death’s arrival; although premature, was a welcomed relief and set the tone of the poem. The negative attributes that are normally associated with the arrival of death are replaced with a memorable carriage ride to meet the narrator’s eternity. The figurative writing within the poem leaves plenty of room for different interpretations of its meaning; however, Dickinson leave many key indicators within the symbolism and figurative language of the poem to convey a clear understanding, that is once you analyze all the facts.
Since the beginning of time, people have many different ways of going about the idea of death and what the afterlife may hold for them, whether they’ll be reunited with family and friends or if they’ll be reincarnated or, maybe nothing at all. This is true for writers, poets and artists. William Cullen Bryant’s “Thanatopsis”, Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind” and Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” they all center their idea death, but approach it differently and conveys their points differently. One glorifies death, one says life is meaningless and the other glorifies life.
From a realistic tone the poet moves on to a mysterious tone when she opens this third stanza with ‘something is happening.’ Probably something unforgettable, frustrating and unbearable is happening. This is unfolded in the subsequent line, ‘half-formed ghost,’ it’s the body of a dead soldier which seems to be haunting the photographer who is dead. His conscience is pricking him for he had to seek the dead soldier’ wife’s s permission
Two of Emily Dickinson’s poems, “I heard a Fly buzz-when I died” and “Because I could not stop for Death” are both written about life’s stopping point, death. Although the poems are written by the same poet, both poems view death in a different manner. Between the two poems, one views death as having an everlasting life while the other anticipates everlasting life, only to realize it does not exist. While both poems are about death, both poems also illustrate that the outcome of death is a mysterious experience that can only be speculated upon with the anticipation of everlasting life.
Who does not cower in fear upon the thought of death? Almost everybody does! However, people have differing views on the abstract idea of dying. In examining the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? by Emily Dickinson and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? by Dylan Thomas, it is evident that the poets use contrasting and comparative techniques in their unique presentations of the concept of death. In the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? Emily Dickinson presents the idea of acceptance of death, whereas in the poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? Dylan Thomas presents the idea of refusal and opposition to death. Despite the differences in theme, these two poets both use similar figurative language devices, such as
Emily Dickinson once said, “Dying is a wild night and a new road.” Some people welcome death with open arms while others cower in fear when confronted in the arms of death. Through the use of ambiguity, metaphors, personification and paradoxes Emily Dickinson still gives readers a sense of vagueness on how she feels about dying. Emily Dickinson inventively expresses the nature of death in the poems, “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain (280)”, “I Heard a fly Buzz—When I Died—(465)“ and “Because I could not stop for Death—(712)”.