Summary Of Emily Dickinson's Suicide By Chris Semansky

This article by Chris Semansky begins by praising Emily Dickinson’s talent of writing intriguing poems about herself. Semanky, argues that this poem expresses Dickinson’s independence ,and her fear of succumbing to rules of the world. Semansky unconventionally argues that this poem is a statement that Dickinson, was trying to make about the dangers of marriage for independent woman. “Death” personified as a kind suitor takes his busy wife. Semanky takes this poem and puts it into perspective of 19th century life. It was a different time, where a woman’s place was beside her husband. Instead of the women recounting a peaceful death, Semansky argues that the woman was actually describing her seduction as a young woman into death.

The young women was seduced by the young man and driven to death by the marriage. In the beginning of the poem the woman is trapped in her busy life until the suitor visits her.

Semansky argues that Dickinson used personification so that the reader could connect or understand an alien topic. The alien topic at the time was marriage. Aside from woman, men didn’t realize the hardships that women had to face silently from marriage. The beginning of the poem reveals the language and rituals of courtship. As custom a chaperone was needed “immortality” and was used as a symbol to personify the consequence of them coming together. The slow ride was to emphasize the impending engagement date. This doesn’t seem to bother the speaker. The speaker is revealed to have put away all her “labors” and “leisure’s”. The action derails the male driven system of courtship. By putting away all her responsibilities the speaker had a strong trust on the suitor. In the next stanza the women passes a schoolyard, farmland, and a “setting” sun. All of these images represent a phase the speaker has gone through. The speaker is dead. Time has stopped for her. For example, the fields of grain do the gazing, instead of her. The women’s marriage is slowly declining. The speaker begins to feel cold symbolizing the emotional coldness that happens to the body before

death. It can also be taken as the speaker not being prepared for marriage. In the fifth stanza the speaker is taken to her new house and her grave. The inspiration for the poem probably came from Dickinson’s desire to always be independent.
Chris Semansky’s criticism on the poem, “Because I could not stop for death” was not a conventional answer. Semansky argued that the poem described the story of a 19th century marriage. It was interesting to see how another person viewed the same poem, but saw it in a different light. Though I liked Semansky’s unusual view of the poem, I like the original theme better. Dickinson’s poem revealed a different view on dying. It doesn’t necessarily have to be sad and disheartening. Death can be taken calmly and willingly. Like a scene from a movie, the reader only knows until the last stanza that the speaker is dead. Using a ghost as the speaker reflects Dickinson’s artistic writing abilities. In the end of the poem the ghost, the women, appears to be recounting her story in eternity or the afterlife. Dickinson’s poem is a reality that connects to readers. That may be the reason for its popularity. Death comes after everyone, in any time. It’s how you perceive it as a grim reaper, or a kind suitor whisking you home.