Representations of Death in Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson

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The poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” written by Emily Dickinson deals about death. Dickinson does not waste time showing about what this poem is. She lets the reader know from the beginning that it is going to be about death. The title itself seems really alive and active.
The way she started with “Because” shows that the poem gives a clear argument or an answer to a question. Also the rest of the title “could not stop for death” shows the reader that it does not depend on us when we are going to die and how. She tries to show us the important words and meanings by capitalizing it and she leads us with her title to the next line and makes it even more interested for the reader. The second line “he kindly stopped for me” is about death and how death is represented as a gentlemen. It shows an acceptation about death and how your life can be a ride with full of new surprises. Already after the second line of the poem Dickinson catches the attention of the reader.
The last part of the stanza “The carriage held but just ourselves – and immortality” creates and irritation to the reader. In line three she talks about death in the carriage, but in the last line of the stanza she irritates the reader by using the word “immortality”. She also tries to irritate the reader by capitalizing word which usually has a big meaning for her like the word “death”, but in this situation she tries to confuse the reader and to lead him or her in another direction. The words “Carriage”, “Ourselves” and “Immortality” are the important word in the last two lines of the first stanza. “Carriage” is a capitalized noun which has a big meaning for Dickinson. With capitalizing “Ourselves” she means the relationship between death and her. She wants us ...

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...oice – the trip to death. In literature death is often represented by the cold and so is Dickinson characterizing death with the coldness.
The fifth stanza starts with “We paused before a house that seemed a swelling of the ground”. It shows that Dickinson is going to die. She wants the reader to have the mind of running away from death. She wants that the reader cheer her up to run as fast as she can before death is able to catch her. The first stop in this part is “we paused”. It represents the beginning of the journey where death picks up the reader. We can assume that the other part could be the end of the story. Dickinson uses the word “house” to demonstrate the place of burial. Some people call it the final resting place. It was a smart way of Dickinson to show that the journey is ending soon. She talks about where to hid the bones like talking about a dog.

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