The work of the American writer Emily Dickinson determines the significant contribution to the world poetry of the second half of the nineteenth century. It coincides with a turning point in the history of American literature, as Dickinson’s poetry reflects the destruction of the Puritan worldview and the search for a new one. While reading Dickinson’s poetry, the audience is transported to another world. It is also the inner world of Dickinson herself. One of the main focuses of her poems is the theme of death. It is because she experienced the loss of her friends, father, mother, which, together with a secluded lifestyle, caused an influence on Dickinson’s mental state and reflected in her art (Alqaryouti and Sadeq, p. 18). In the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the author explores concepts of life, death, and immortality using literary elements and figurative language.
The poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is the author’s interpretation of a life journey and inevitability of death as well as an attempt to explore immortality. Dickinson views death mostly in a positive manner, the final point of life on earth, and the start of eternity. The author romanticizes death from the start by portraying it as a courteous gentleman rather than a frightening creature. Thus, instead of taking the side of the majority of people who are afraid of dying, Dickinson chooses to look at it from a positive perspective. She thinks of death, more like a companion who patiently waited for her to finish activities. It can be interpreted that in Dickinson’s opinion, there is nothing to be afraid of because it will happen in everybody’s life. However, a certain level of acceptance and comfort of the phenomenon does not mean that the author fully understands its mysteriousness.
Another essential theme explored by Dickinson in the poem is the topic of eternal life. The author indicates its presence as the third occupant of the carriage in the line: “The Carriage held but just Ourselves –/ And Immortality” (Dickinson, pp. 3-4). The ambiguity is portrayed through the uncertainty of its role in the poem. On the one hand, it could be supported by the Christian idea of the afterlife. On the other hand, Dickinson perceives it as an inalienable part of the process of death, which erases the concept of time and reality. Therefore, immortality can be interpreted as either the comfort of an afterlife in heaven as in the Christian worldview or as part of death, which is eternal darkness and nothingness.
Dickinson uses several images that are connected to each other and builds the picture in the mind of the audience. The first image is a carriage picking up the narrator portrayed in the opening lines of the poem: “Because I could not stop for Death –/ He kindly stopped for me” (Dickinson, pp. 1-2).
After that, the author proceeds to describe her surroundings, painting three different scenes of children, field, and sunset. Another image is her clothes described in lines 15 and 16 as a gown and veil pointing out to her bridal look. It adds another interpretation to the journey portraying just married couple on their way to the groom’s house. The final image used by the narrator is horses looking toward eternity, which divided the before and afterlife experience. The variety of imagery allows the reader to interpret death in several ways.
The allegory of life is presented narratively in the poem. The carriage is taking the narrator to the last point of life – the house of death. The whole poem represents the journey from the early childhood (kids playing near the school) to adulthood (the gazing grain as the idea of working for a living), and finally to the old days (the setting sun). It represents the recollection of life memories of the human being. The grave mentioned as the “swelling of the ground” signifies the final destination and time for the body of the deceased to come to rest (Dickinson, p. 18). At this point, the narrator realizes how short her life, which has come to an end, is.
Symbolism in the poem is used to aid in conveying the theme of death and immortality. The first symbol is the carriage taking the narrator, which symbolizes humanity, and their companion, which symbolizes death on the journey from birth to the afterlife. The symbol of the cycle of life appears multiple times throughout the poem. It can be seen as a children’s game where they are put in a ring, a round shape, representing the idea of the eternity of life and death. The wheels of a carriage can also be interpreted as a circle, carrying the narrator both figuratively and literary on the road of life. The children symbolize a carefree part of life, a nostalgia for the bittersweet memories. The fields of grain represent the maturity of a person and also the stillness of human life. The setting sun is, of course, a symbol of aging and the dawn of being. Symbols of the poem enrich its meaning and create a vivid image in the mind of the reader.
The most apparent metaphor used in the poem is the extended metaphor of death. Here it is described having human attributes both physically and mentally. The narrator indicated that death offered her to take a ride, which represents the process from dying to becoming part of eternity. The stop they make at the end near the house shows the new stage of being. The metaphor of the house is used in the poem to represent the grave. Essentially, it is a temporal resting place for those who are alive, and a grave is a permanent place for dead. The tomb becomes a person’s body house for eternity, whereas the soul continues its journey to eternity.
Dickinson uses several tones to indicate the dubious mood of the poem. One of them is calm and lighthearted as the author presents death as a natural and even pleasant process. The character of death is described as civil and patient, depriving it of the traditional association with darkness and fear. This tone can be felt throughout the first part of the poem.
The second part has a different solemn tone indicating the seriousness of the situation. This transition can be seen in the following lines: “We paused before a House that seemed/ A Swelling of the Ground” (Dickinson, pp. 17-18). The imagery of the house makes the reader think that the narrator is just being dropped off. However, the second line adds to understanding that the house is actually a grave.
Alliteration is one of the most prominent means of figurative language used by Dickinson in the poem. The most visible part is the 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 – (Dickinson, pp. 9-12).
It is seen that each line has a pair of words with alliterated sounds, which represents the distinct phases of the life cycle. The author uses alliteration to unify the pattern of life, and different letters show that each stage has its own meaning and importance. Another example of alliteration can be seen in the seventh line, where Dickinson juxtaposes “labor” and “leisure” as the two main parts of people’s life. The author emphasizes the two elements of the human essence using the same first letter. The use of alliteration in the poem helps draw the reader’s attention to the importance of the words and their depth.
The poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” revolves around the themes of death, the perpetuity of life, and the mysterious nature of the afterlife. The author uses alliteration and tone to reflect the mood of the poem. By using metaphors and symbolism together with allegory, the narrator takes the audience through the journey of life. Dickinson omits the harsh reality of death. Instead, she uses positive or neutral imagery of acceptance and peace to portray the character of death. Immortality, however, has an ambiguous nature, which leaves it up to the interpretation of the reader. It allows the audience to take an intellectual approach to understand the meaning of the poem and accepting that life goes on.
Works Cited
- Dickinson, Emily. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death – (479) “. Poetry Foundation, 2020.
- Alqaryouti, Marwan, and Ala Eddin Sadeq. ” Vision of Death in Emily Dickinson’s Selected Poems.” Asian Social Science, vol. 13, no. 5, 2017, pp. 16-23, doi:10.5539/ass.v13n5p16