Analysis of Emily Dickinson's Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Analysis of Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death"

In regard to Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” Critic Eunice Glenn says: “In the first two lines Death, personified as a carriage driver, stops for one who could not stop for him. The word ‘kindly’ is particularly meaningful, for it instantly characterizes Death. This comes with surprise, too, since death is more often considered grim and terrible” (Glenn). Critic Charles R. Anderson says, “Death, usually rude, sudden, and impersonal, has been transformed into a kindly and leisurely gentleman” (Anderson).

Both critics seem to agree on the significance of the word “kindly” in the first two lines of the poem. “Because I could not stop for Death— / He kindly stopped for me—” (1-2). They take the word “kindly” for its most common definitions—agreeable, pleasant, benevolent, etc. With further research, however, alternative, as well as more enlightening, definitions become available. The Oxford English Dictionary defines kindly as: “In accordance with nature; naturally; by natural disposition; characteristically” and “In the way suitable or appropriate to the nature of the thing; properly, fittingly” (“Kindly”). These definitions add new insight to the poem. In the superficial sense, Death seemingly performed a charitable act by stopping for the speaker; in application of these less common definitions, however, Death stopping for the speaker was necessary and proper. It was following after the natural course of things. Rather than merely suggesting the Death was a charming, courteous carriage driver, the speaker implies that Death was obligated to stop for her; she is unable to stop for him.

It is inter...

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...s of conducting mortals into eternity.

—JAIME SORENSEN, Brigham Young University, Idaho

Works Cited

Anderson, Charles R. Modern American Poetry. 1 Jan 2002.

University of Illinois. 13 Sept. 2005 uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dickinson/712.htm>.

Dickinson, Emily. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” The

Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Ed. Thomas H. Johnson.

Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard UP, 1960.

Engle, Patricia. “Dickinson’s ‘Because I Could Not Stop For

Death.’” The Explicator 60(2002): 72-75.

Glenn, Eunice. Modern American Poetry. 1 Jan 2002. University of

Illinois. 13 Sept. 2005 /poets/a_f/dickinson/712.htm>.

Kennedy, X.J., Dana Gioia, and Mark Bauerlein. Handbook of

Literary Terms. Chelmsford: Courier Corp.,2005.“Kindly.”

Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989.