Extensive Analysis of the Poem 'Because I Could Not Stop For Death'
'Because I Could Not Stop For Death' poem analysis consists of the essay that examines and interpretates the poem title, briefly states in own words what the subject of the poem and discusses what could be discovered in it.
Prior to acknowledging the text of ‘Because I Could Not Stop For Death’ in its entirety, the title gave off the impression that the author was going to rationalize the alterations of the cycle of life, and what comes after. After thoroughly acquiring the poem, readers came to the conclusion that the author was demonstrating the progression that comes before and after death. As she talked about the ‘carriage,’ we immediately perceived this as a symbol of experiencing life as death occurs. As we know, most people have different aspects of life; This is why Emily felt the need to communicate that every individual is forced to accept the idea of death, putting all perspectives aside, at one point in their lives, whether it’s idolized or not. Therefore, our assumptions based on the title were accurate, compared to before and after reading the poem.
There are many themes displayed in this poem. Firstly the poem is written based on the aspects of death and how the speaker sees her afterlife. Mortality is one of the many themes in this poem. Mortality is a term used to describe the state of being destined to die. Mortality plays a role in this poem since it is about the speaker’s journey to death and how her actual day of death was truly like. It was found that the character was already dead and in the poem she was expressing her journey to death, which is why she may have had such a calm tone throughout the poem. Death is the main theme in the poem since every concept is related to the aspect of death. The reader seems to not be afraid of her death and has expected the fact that she is going to die one day or another.
After reading the poem, We felt as if we could relate the theme of ‘Because I Could Not Stop For Death’ to how different individuals keep up with the discussion of death in general. It is clear that so many groups of people have different views on the cycle of life and what happens after death. It is something that various religions, cultures, and several organizations have analyzed. The way that life and death are conceived can go as far as discussing funerals, grieving, and even festivals after a loved one has passed. In some countries such as Mexico, it is common to celebrate life by going to a festival called the Dia De Los Muertos (which translates to Day of The Dead.) This is just one way to reconnect with those who have recently passed and is a way to pay respects. Another frequently visited festival in the country of China is the Hungry Ghost Festival. This celebration usually occurs in the summertime and is a prevalent way to keep in touch with previous ancestors that have passed. This all deeply connects with the poem ‘Because I Could Not Stop For Death’ drastically. In the text, there were several lines where the author, Emily Dickinson, related her life to personal experiences that we all can relate to. For example, when she states, “Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet Feels shorter than the Day.” As she talks about the importance of life, we couldn’t help but notice the immense relation to the real world.
The author uses imagery many times throughout the poem, an example of imagery is when she says “We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain, We passed the Setting Sun”. Readers can easily visualize fields of wheat in the setting sun, bending in the wind with the orange setting sun shining on them. The author uses personification to tell readers that death should be feared, as she describes death as kind, patient, and polite.
The mood in the poem seems very gloomy, and lonely since the author is talking about her death throughout the poem. It seems very spectral due to the fact the poem is based on death waiting to take the speaker. We noticed in the text, the author had a serious tone as the poem continued. This poem was not something you would consider the average way to talk about death since the speaker was very whimsical when talking about her death. She related it to happy memories from her childhood, such as children playing and the setting sun which is visually very beautiful to look at. The author is fully aware of what is happening but yet is not drowned by sadness, nor is she greatly emotional about it. The poem seems to be written in a very calm tone.
In conclusion, I noticed the poem has a shift in the tone a little bit when the author started to really realize her death was closer than she had imagined. When she states “Or rather--He passed us The Dews drew quivering and chill”. This is when the author starts to notice that she is no longer in control of what is happening but instead the aspects around her are in control of everything that is happening. After this line, the author goes more in-depth about death as she talks about a house where the roof is barely visible which may be referring to a graveyard with a memorial stone in the ground. The last line talks about how she has been dead for centuries but that it did not feel as long as it has been which greatly changed the tone in the poem, and how readers interpret it.
