Because I Could Not Stop For Death By Emily Dickinson

Because I Could Not Stop For Death

Basic infopoet: Emily Dickinson

BLAST

B: Who- a spirit        What- journey of her transition from mortal to immortality       Where- cemetery, at her own grave       Why- to show that death is not coming to be afraid ofL:  Metaphor      PersonificationA: Cold       EerieS: Regular      Iambic terameter- 4 beats ( like a horses galops)      Assonance (repeted/similar vouvel sound)      Dashes- helps to create a slow rhymeT: Cycle of life      Death

Break downs of the stanzas 

Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.

Because: by starting with an explanation the poet makes the poem active and alive- the speaker is in the middle of the action Death: personification- by using a capital letter the poet is suggesting that Death could be a name He: here she reinforces that Death is a person by personifying it as a male character kindly: suggesting that Death is gentleman caller, courteous, charming, polite The Carriage: suggesting it is based in the victorian era, and symbolises her journey through death just Ourselves: Death is giving her attention, thus starting a relationship  Immortality: Death also brings the afterlife, as well as creating a paradox

Second stanza 

We slowly drove – He knew no haste  And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For his Civility-

slow / haste: symbolises the slow journey of death, and how the journey is relaxed, at ease, tranquil labour / leisure: metonymy For his Civility: showing regards (politeness, chivalry) Break down; she stops living (her every day life) as she sees death nearing this is because Death was kind, gracious, courteous enough to stop for her so in return she retrieves from her day to day life for him

Third stanza

We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun – 

passed: anaphora- reinforces passage of time (suggest that the memory is from the pass) School / strove: working (hard) Children: metaphor- childhood, and the begining of life Recess: leisure Fields of Grazing Grains: metaphor- prime time of life Setting Sun: end of the day, metaphorically the end of life Break down: all of the images in this stanza is a reminder of the mortal world, which is now apart of her pass this is why the speaker repeats the word "passed". There's a lot of images in this stanza representing a metaphor for life- the stanza is short as life is compared to eternity. However life is still full of memories (that passes by quickly as it can be seen by a single carriage ride)

Fourth stanza

Or rather – He passed Us – The Dews drew quivering and Chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle –

Chill: here the atmosphere becomes colder, darker, still Gown: reinforcing that the speaker is female Tulle: ghostly image, her clothes symbolises the fragility of life and the simplicity of the afterlife Break down: in this part of the poem the speaker makes her transition from the mortal world to the immortal world clear (this is where she dies). At first she is cold, slightly shaking, she feels discomfort (which she will feel for eternity). Her clothes also reinforces the idea that she wasn't ready to die as she is wearing the wrong clothes for the temperature described

Fifth stanza

We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground – 

House: symbolises comfort Swelling of the Ground: symbolises her grave (resting place) scarcely: almost not Roof: the roof was underground reinforcing the image of a grave Break down: the speakers tone is conversational, observant. emphasising that she has no fear nor, sadness for her death

Sixth stanza

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity –

Centuries: emphasises how long the speaker has been dead (100s of years ago) Feels shorter that the Day: time has lost meaning (because now time becomes eternity) I first: emphasis that she knew from the begging of the poem that she was going to meet her fatal end Horses' Head: reinforcing the idea of her looking back at the day she died (horses from the carriage) Eternity: time without end  Break down: in the final stanza we find out that the speaker is a spirit looking upon her grave reminiscing the day she died (journey from the mortal world to immortality).  Through out the poem there were no sign of haste or distress emphasising the speakers though of death as a peaceful process. As she welcomes death she notices that  death is not the end, it's the beginning of eternity,.