“Because I Could Not Stop for Death ”: Imagery and Personification in Dickinson's Poems
Emily Dickinson, was known to be an eccentric woman, and one of the most influential poets of the Transcendentalist era. She barricaded herself in her room, all the while writing the great poems we study today. During her life, she was shunned by society and never shared her poems fearing she would not be accepted for her works. Her family felt an urge of dissension deciding whether to share or keep her poems hidden after her death. Some were not pleased by her work, and thought it was inappropriate for a woman of that era to write. However, as society grew and matured, people soon realized the greatness of her poems, with the incredible themes, and literary devices they held. In the poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death ”and“ My Life Closed Twice Before It’s Close,” Dickinson illustrates the common theme of immortality and death by using literary devices such as imagery and personification.
In Dickinson’s poem “Because Could Not Stop for Death,” she uses literary devices, specifically-- imagery and personification, throughout the poem to enhance the theme of immortality and death. For example, she describes death as a kind man who stopped for her in his carriage, and took her around the town. Showing the audience different places in the town, including the school, the field, and the old run down house allows them to imagine themselves in the carriage seeing the same thing as the speaker. Furthermore, when we are introduced to Death we are also introduced to Immortality, another passenger in the carriage. Whom isn’t addressed specifically, although the audience knows he is there. Dickinson carries out her theme of immortality by even putting a character of it in the poem. Some may infer that because she says immortality is there, somethings never die off and may last for eternity. In addition, in the last line of the poem, Dickinson states, “I first surmised the Horses’ Heads Were toward Eternity.” Ending the poem with a dash, it gives the impression that the poem itself does not end, and the subject of it will last for eternity.
Equally important, another poem that uses the same literary devices is “My Life Closed Twice Before It’s Close.” In this poem, the speaker speaks about two great events that affected her negatively, which were two great losses. This explains how she cannot go through another loss, because if she does it might break her. In the poem, the speaker references immortality stating “If Immortality unveil a third event to me.” Once again the theme of immortality can be inferred on how she feels she will live through many deaths and they may never stop. Dickinson is not one to talk about heaven or hell, but this poem mentions the ideas of both. Her unusual ways of describing death are intriguing, as well as eye opening. Not many people during her time thought of death in sense that she did, giving more attention towards her intriguing and unique poem. Many of the literary devices help with creating vivid images of both life and death, which makes it easy to follow along with the story being told. This further shows that Dickinson uses unique literary devices in order to give the reader a different outlook on the topic of the poem
Given these points, I can conclude that Emily Dickinson used the literary devices imagery and personification to enhance the theme of immortality and death in the poems, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” and “My Life Closed Twice Before It’s Close.” Dickinson shows her audience how great her writing truly is, and her different point of views on death. Stating how it can be calm and kind, but it can also ruin a person once it has occurred too many times. She uses very evocative images in her poems to show the audience her view on both immortality and death. Even showing Death as a person who will wait for her until her time has come for her to pass. Dickinson knew as a woman speaking of things such as death and darkness was not regular for a woman and chose to go against the odds of society, which resulted in her success. Her unique way of writing influenced the transcendental era for the better, and earned her way into today’s English textbooks.
