Emily Dickinson Death Analysis

Additionally in the third stanza Dickinson refers to steps of her life with imagery. Firstly when the speaker wrote “We passed the School, where Children strove” (2.1), she is illustrating how her adolescent years are gone. She continues by saying “We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain” (3.3). This symbolism refers to her working years and considers them to be done with. Ultimately

Emily Dickinson is one of Americas greatest and most original poets of all time. Over the span of her lifetime she came to compose many poems that pertained to the topic of death, which made it seem as if she had an almost morbid fascination with the subject. Her poems "I heard a Fly buzz –when I died", and "Because I could not stop for death—" are some of the many poems that she wrote on this ghastly topic. Even though the poems are somewhat similar with the main focus being death from different viewpoints, I personally believe that "I heard a Fly buzz—when I died" was more of a powerful and impacting poem for various reasons.

“Afraid! Of whom am I afraid? Not Death – for who is He?” (F345). Dickinson, on the other hand, was not shaken by the thought of death, but rather welcomed it. Dickinson’s poetry not only portrayed death as nothing to fear, but it also counterbalanced society’s disdain for death. In one of Dickinson’s most popular poems, she writes “Because I could not stop for death- he kindly stopped for me” (F479). Culture typically sees death as an unwelcome end that everyone must face, but her poetry depicts death as being kind enough to halt its progress to accommodate her. Why is Emily Dickinson’s poetry so in love with death? Death is the only reliable constant (Ottlinger, 42). “All but Death, Can be adjusted Dynasties repaired – Systems – settled in the Sockets – Citadels – dissolved – Wastes of Lives – resown with Colors By Succeeding Springs – Death – unto itself – Exception – is exempt from Change -” (F789). Perhaps the harshest aspect of her poetry’s death is that after it has taken another soul, life moves on simply

Emily Dickinson is one of the most important American poets of the 1800s. Dickinson, who was known to be quite the recluse, lived and died in the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, spending the majority of her days alone in her room writing poetry. What few friends she did have would testify that Dickinson was a rather introverted and melancholy person, which shows in a number of her poems where regular themes include death and mortality. One such poem that exemplifies her “dark side” is, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”. In this piece, Dickinson tells the story of a soul’s transition into the afterlife showing that time and death have outright power over our lives and can make what was once significant become meaningless.

The tone seems reflective, as if the narrator is retelling the story over, having thought about it many times. There is one point when irony is used—the last stanza is full of confusing words that contradict each other and are certainly not what one would expect after reading the preceding line. I feel the rhetorical situation is the narrator telling a story, perhaps something that happened long ago, and reflecting on it. Dickinson’s use of dashes—though she uses them frequently in all poems—assists to the feeling of story-telling. There are a few occasions throughout the poem when the use of dashes gives the idea of the narrator pausing and adding in a little extra information, maybe something that helps the reader understand the situation more. I think the reader is having a one-on-one meeting with the narrator, though the reader is never formally or specifically addressed. I think it could be that the narrator has gone off on a bit of a tangent, and is perhaps talking almost to his or herself, and glances back to the reader every once in a while to make sure he or she is still paying attention.

This poem is written in ballad form which is odd because one would think of a ballad and think a love story or an author gushing on about nature not an allegory about personified Death. Dickinson both unites and contrasts love/courtship with death, experimenting with both reader’s expectations and the poetic convention dictating specific poem form. This is why Dickinson is widely hailed because of her unconventional writing methods.

Emily Dickinson was a writer that had a morbid, yet beautiful way of expressing her thoughts. It takes many times to read her work and finally grasp some of what she means. Her poems leave the reader questioning and wondering why exactly a certain stanza was written that way. Dickinson wrote about death and made it seem as though she knew what it was really like, those very last moments of life. Then on the other hand, she wrote about happy experiences in life, sexual ones, and some that make insane thoughts seem so sane. Emily Dickinson used various ways of expressing her ideas of specific moments in life whether it be in dark poems with beautiful meanings, or refreshing poems that are uplifting.

Her poem gives a lot of meaning. Whitman’s poems are titled but amorphous, because of the lyrics that are assigned with a successive editions and his reinvention. In the case of Dickinson’s the poems are fascicle in structure but are not alternatives (Cameron, 60).

Death is a natural occurrence that happens to every living organism. Though, death is a destined occurrence many people have many different point of views on death. In Alan Seeger’s poem, “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” he further elaborates on death in his perspective as a soldier in battle and in “Because I could not stop for death” Emily Dickinson explains her poem in a perspective of a white puratan women. In the poems, “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” by Alan Seeger and “Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson, both explain to readers what death means to them and their point of view on death is and the implications it may have on them. Overall, these poems use diction, repetition, personification, and even rhyme to relate

Emily Dickinson is considered one of the greatest poets today in America, yet in the 19th century her work was considered inconsequential, unconventional, and unacknowledged amongst many of her peers. Dickinson’s work is unique beyond measure, because it changed the traditional rules of rhythm. Emily Dickinson’s experience of lost loved ones throughout her childhood and on into her adulthood made a significant impact on her life. It impacted her by making her disgruntled towards religion, and obsessing on death. Miss. Dickinson’s writing did closely reflect her life experiences, and emotions. Yet, when examining Dickinson’s poetry closely one can identify it as though she shaped personalities, and occasions

The sound of the poem begins with iambic tetrameter and then iambic trimeter. The pattern is repeated throughout the poem which would make for an easy reading except that Dickinson broke up the poem with her dash marks. The dash marks makes a reader pause and read the following line with some emphasis. Though the true reason as to why she broke up the poem in such a way is unknown. There is no rhyme scheme present that

Dickinson's poem focuses on the speaker's relationship with death as being more complex than some might feel inclined to imagine one's connection with it. It appears that the poet wants her readers to acknowledge that death is imminent and that it is

Thesis: Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” is about the human nature of dying and accepting our time when to leave. To understand the poem, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” it’s important to understand who death is. Death is personified, or described in terms of human characteristics, throughout literature (Gale, 2003). Dickinson uses the personification of Death as a metaphor throughout the poem (Gale, 2003). This poem was published in the 1890’s.

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.

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)”.