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Because I could not stop for Death

Because I could not stop for Death Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” is a remarkable masterpiece that exercises thought between the known and the unknown. In Dickinson’s poem, “Because I could not stop Death,” there is much impression in the tone, in symbols and in the use of imagery that over flow with creativity. One might undoubtedly agree to an eerie, haunting, if not frightening, tone and use of symbolism in Dickinson’s poem. Dickinson uses controlling adjectives –“slowly” and “passed” – to create a tone that seems rather placid. For example, “We slowly drove –He knew no Haste / …We passed the School … / We passed the Setting Sun” (5,9,11,12), sets a slow, quiet, and clam atmosphere. The tone in Dickinson’s poem puts readers’ ideas on a track towards a boggling atmosphere. Dickinson’s poem lives on complex ideas that are evoked through symbols, which carry her readers through her poem. Besides the literal significance of –the “School,” “Gazing Grain,” “Setting Sun,” and the “Ring” –much is gathered to complete the poem’s central idea. Dickinson brought to light the mysteriousness of the life cycle. The cycle of one’s life, as symbolized by Dickinson, has three stages and then a final stage of eternity. “Schools, where children strove” (9) may represent childhood; “Fields of Gazing Grain” (11), maturity; and “Setting Sun” (12) old age. In addition to these three stages, the final stage of eternity was symbolized in the last two lines of the poem, the “Horses Heads” (23), leading “towards Eternity” (24). Dickinson thought about the life cycle in terms of figurative symbols. Dickinson describes the scene such that mental pictures of sight, feeling, and sound come to life. The imagery begins the moment Dickinson invites her reader into the “Carriage” (3). Death “slowly” (5) takes the readers on a sight seeing trip where they see the stages of life. The first site “We” passed was the “School, where children strove” (9). Because it deals with an important symbol, --the “Ring” –this first scene is perhaps the most important. On this invited journey, one vividly sees “Children” playing. Laughing and singing. This scene conveys emotions and moods through verbal pictures. The imagery in the final scene, “We passed the Setting Sun” (12) is very emotional. One can clearly picture a warm setting sun, perhaps, over a grassy horizon. The idea of a setting sun, aftermath a fact of slumber in a cold dark night. When Dickinson passed the “Setting Sun,” night drew nigh and it was time to go home and sleep. Symbolically, her tour of life was over; it was now time for “Eternity” –death. While sight seeing in the carriage, one can gather, by the setting of the sun, that this ride was glimpse of life flashing before her eyes; just as said to happen before you die. Lines 14 and 15 seem to support this idea. “The dews drew quivering and chill / For only Gossamer, my Gown” (14-15). This indicates a pleasant time cut short. Before she knew it, the cold “Dew[s]” (14) had set in. The imagery in this transcendent poem shines great light on some hidden similarities between life and death. This poem exercises both the thoughts and emotions of readers. Eternity and Death are two important characters in Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death.” In fact, eternity is a state of being. Dickinson believed in an eternity after death . Agreeably, Dickinson shows no fear of death in her poem. Bibliography:

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