Paper Topic:

English 101

p Birth , Time , and Death in Dickinson 's Because I could not stop for Death

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Because I could not stop for Death ' is a poem written by Emily Dickinson in which death is personified . Dickinson writes about life death , and dying . She uses many literary devices to explore these classic themes that have been pondered by humans throughout time . It is Dickinson 's use of vivid imagery combined with brevity and decisive word choice that makes her poems and specifically Because I could

not stop for Death ' a well read and cherish poem in American literature Dickinson uses the dominant and recurring images to explore the archetypal themes of birth , time , and death . Dickinson 's primary intent is not either hope for immortality or the experience of living with the knowledge of death . Both are traditional interpretations of Because Death Could Not Stop for Me ' but certainly not the only two possible ones . Death is described by Dickinson as an unintelligent betrayer (Farr 101 . His kindness ' and civility ' and supposed immorality are just illusions to make the narrator and every living person go quietly with death . Dickinson did not write for an audience . She was not trying to inspire or educate . After experiencing the death of several people close to her , Dickinson was grieving , angry , and confused . The narrator of the poem was not prepared for death . In line 15 - 16 , For only gossamer my gown / My tippet only tulle ' the narrator was not dressed , wearing only underclothes or night gown , when death came for her (Porter 98

What many critics may not consider is that Dickinson was intelligent and obviously very witty . It is possible that Dickinson wrote this poem in a sarcastic mood , and the result was meant to be a humorous attack on death (Farr 123 . The nonchalant nature of the first two lines which read Because I could not stop for Death / He kindly stopped for me is funny . If the first two lines are allowed to set the tone of the rest of the poem , the meaning of the poem is completely different . We slowly drove / he knew no haste ' in stanza two , describing death as lazy . The narrator obliges death by giving up her labor ' and leisure ' even though all he really has to offer is his civility They encounter several things that the narrator means note of children strove ' fields of gazing grain ' and setting sun ' Only the narrator notices them because death is too slow and inattentive to care or know what he is missing (Porter 63 . This is the reason the narrator must surmise ' or guess about eternity in the final stanza

Death is a tool used by a higher power to do it 's bidding and he offers no knowledge or hope about what occurs after death . There is absolutely no mention or tone of hope or optimism about the future . The narrator simples knows it is the end of her life and resigns herself to...

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