Introduction
Emily Dickenson’s poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death illustrates phenomena such as the circle of life, death, immortality, and the afterlife. The topic of death becomes rather welcoming as the feeling with which it is met calmness, which directly illustrates how the narrator came to terms with such fate. In this paper, the poem will be discussed from the perspective of a message that can be gained about its theme, namely, embracing mortality and viewing it as a continuation of a process that does not end with one’s death.
Summary
On the surface of the poem, death is the central theme that is reflected upon. Namely, death takes on the role of a person who guides the narrator in the afterlife. On the other hand, the narrator does not oppose the circumstances but embraces them and recalls life before giving it up for eternity. Thus, it is inevitable that in the eyes of the narrator, death is a biblical premise that implies the continuation of life.
Analysis
Death is introduced in the first verses of the poem. “Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me” exemplifies a person’s unreadiness to pass away yet acceptance (Dickenson, lines 1-2). “The carriage held, but just ourselves and immortality” is another personification of death and an illustration of the belief in the afterlife as exemplified through immortality (Dickenson, lines 3-4). “We slowly drove, he knew no haste” reflects death’s non-human approach (Dickenson, line 5). Moreover, the lines “I had put away my labor and my leisure too, for his civility” implies that the narrator will no longer live the life they used to have (Dickenson, lines 6-8). The following stanza highlights how death has traveled through the narrator’s life as it always accompanies people before giving them immortality through an end to life. “We passed the school, where children strove at recess, in the ring, we passed the fields of gazing grain, we passed the setting sun” illustrates the beauty of earthly phenomena and people, which will be forgotten in the afterlife (Dickenson, lines 9-12). However, the following line relates to the fact that life passed through them instead of them passing through life as it is mentioned: “Or rather, he passed us” (Dickenson, line 13). The following lines relate to the narrator being unprepared for death as explained through inappropriate clothing “The dews drew quivering and chill, for only gossamer, my gown, my tippet, only tulle” (Dickenson, lines 14-16). The next stanza illustrates the narrator’s new house as it is portrayed through the burial spot: “We paused before a house that seemed a swelling of the ground, the roof was scarcely visible, the cornice in the ground” (Dickenson, lines 17-20). “Since then – ’tis centuries, and yet feels shorter than the day” illustrates the lost sense of time as time has no meaning after the physical body dies (Dickenson, lines 21-22). The next lines are, “I first surmised the horses’ heads were toward eternity” (Dickenson, lines 23-24). They illustrate a common symbol of horses being the carriers into the afterlife and eternity that follows after the mortality of life on earth.
Critical Response
It can be argued that the author has taken a rather religious outlook on life after death and immortality. This is exemplified in the last line, “toward eternity” (Dickenson, line 24). Thus, a typical human response involving fear and a lack of understanding of death has not been presented. Moreover, the calm tone is not supported by a readiness to die, as exemplified in the lines, “The dews drew quivering and chill, for only gossamer, my gown, my tippet, only tulle” (Dickenson, lines 14-16). Thus, the narrator is not ready to die yet accepts their fate.
Conclusion
The poem relates to the topic of death as a phenomenon that is inevitable yet leads to immortality. Instead of fearing the unknown, the narrator embraces their destiny and rides to the afterlife before passing through life. An element of spirituality is indeed present. As a result, the process is presented as one with a greater purpose, such as the soul reaching eternity.
Work Cited
Dickenson, Emily. Because I could not stop for Death. Poetry Foundation, 1890. Poetry Foundation.